Ombudsman removes Ecija mayor for misconduct

PANTABANGAN, Nueva Ecija—Mayor Lucio Uera was removed from office by the Office of the Ombudsman for grave misconduct and grave abuse of authority when he suspended and then terminated the employment of 44 permanent municipal employees nine years ago.

Abraham Pascua, Nueva Ecija director of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and lawyer Myron Cunanan, Central Luzon legal officer, served on Wednesday the dismissal order approved by Ombudsman

Conchita Carpio-Morales on Feb. 6.

Vice Mayor Ruben Huerta was installed as new mayor while Councilor Vincent Uera, a relative of the ousted official, took Huerta’s place.

Pascua said Mayor Uera was not around when they served the order. They gave Uera’s secretary a copy of the order and posted another copy on the town hall’s door, instead.

The Ombudsman charged Uera with the “penalty of fine equivalent to one year (of salary) with the accessory penalty of dismissal from service with cancellation of eligibility.”

The Ombudsman also forfeited his retirement benefits and disqualified him for life from reemployment in the government service.

The case stemmed from the complaint filed by Antonio Capia and 43 other municipal employees in March 2005.

In the Ombudsman’s Oct. 20, 2014 order, Morales approved the recommendation of graft investigator Joan Lou Gamboa to deny Uera’s appeal of a ruling that found him guilty of two counts of grave misconduct, grave abuse of authority and oppression.

But Uera appealed the decision and was able to delay his dismissal last year.

In their complaint, the employees said they were stopped from reporting for work by Uera’s aides on Jan. 3, 2005. Their daily time records and personal belongings, the complainants alleged, were confiscated.

The employees said they had to go to the Sangguniang Bayan building where Uera’s rival, Romeo Borja Sr., held office after he was proclaimed winner in an election protest in connection with the 2004 elections.

Uera was reinstated as mayor by the Commission on Elections three weeks later. He ordered the complainants to explain why they should not be charged with unexplained absences, according to records.

Uera cited these absences when he suspended and terminated them from service, the complainants said. Armand Galang, Inquirer Central Luzon