Bacolod City Mayor Monico Puentevella. FILE PHOTO
Outgoing Bacolod City Mayor Monico Puentevella was ordered suspended for one month and one day for delaying the administrative suspension against two city hall officials “in the spirit of Christmas.”
In a statement on Wednesday, the Office of the Ombudsman said it found Puentevella guilty of simple misconduct.
Puentevella was ordered suspended for defying the Ombudsman’s July 2014 decision ordering the suspension of building officials Isidro Sun Jr. and building inspector Jose Maria Makilan who were found guilty of conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.
Puentevella received the directive from the Ombudsman to implement the suspension order last December 2014. However, Puentevella insisted that “in the spirit of Christmas, the effectivity of the Order is set on January 1, 2015.”
The Ombudsman said the law does not allow any head of agency to delay the effectivity of any suspension order from the Ombudsman.
“The Ombudsman Act of 1989 [Republic Act No. 6770] plainly states that decisions of the Office of the Ombudsman are immediately effective and executory… There is nothing vague or ambiguous with this wording,” the Ombudsman said in its decision.
“Neither R.A. No. 6770 nor the issuances of the [Ombudsman] authorize a head of office or agency to schedule a different date for the effectivity of the Decision,” it added.
In 2015, Puentevella was suspended for 90 days by the Sandiganbayan in connection with his graft charge over the alleged overpriced computers bought using his Priority Development Assistance Funds.
READ: Bacolod mayor suspended for 90 days over computer deal for schools
Puentevella is accused of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act for the alleged irregular purchase of information technology (IT) packages for public elementary and secondary schools in the city using his pork barrel funds.
The prosecution accused Puentevella of purchasing without public bidding allegedly overpriced computer packages worth P400,000 each or a total of P26 million from Merryland Publishing Corp. when he was a congressman.
Puentevella served as Bacolod City representative from 2001 to 2010. He lost his reelection bid as Bacolod mayor in the recently concluded May 9 polls. RAM
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