Mandaue councilor appeals preventive suspension

MANDAUE City Councilor Editha Cabahug will file a motion for reconsideration on the 60-day preventive suspension to be served against her and seven other barangay officials.

In a press conference yesterday, Cabahug said she is confident that the order won’t take effect due to the election ban on appointments, transfers and suspensions of government officials.

But Mandaue City election officer Anna Fluer Gujilde said elected officials facing graft cases may still be suspended under the Omnibus Election Code.

Cabahug denied allegations that she ignored the complaint of former barangay Looc councilman Jesus Jaime Flores on the delayed approval of his terminal leaves.

She said she inquired about this at the Civil Service Commission, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and even wrote former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Flores filed criminal charges against Cabahug, then barangay chairperson of Looc and seven other barangay councilors at the Regional Trial Court in Mandaue City on May 2, 2006 after his terminal leave worth P148,246 was unpaid.

Cabahug said she received a letter from David Cabanag Jr., regional director of the Civil Service Commission about her inquiry of Flores’ terminal leave as provided under CSC-DBM Joint Circular No. 1, series 2004.

“Since the joint circular took effect on April 15, 2004, it shall not cover any leave credits earned by the barangay officials for services they rendered to the barangay prior to this date, particularly for computation,” Cabahug said quoting the circular.

Flores served as barangay councilman from 1989 to 2002. /Reporter Jucell Marie P. Cuyos