Assume mayor’s post, Palawan exec told

Puerto Princesa Mayor Lucilo Bayron (Photo from the Facebook page of Mr. Bayron)

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has ordered Puerto Princesa City Vice Mayor Luis Marcaida to take his oath as mayor of the Palawan capital following the dismissal of Mayor Lucilo Bayron.

Florida Dijan, DILG regional director in Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan), on Thursday said she sent Marcaida a memorandum directing him to assume office after the mayoral post was left vacant when Bayron was  dismissed by the Office of the Ombudsman.

The Inquirer tried to reach Marcaida for comments but was told the official was out of his office on Thursday. City Hall employees said Marcaida had not assumed the mayoral seat as of Thursday.

The Ombudsman, in a decision in November 2016, found Bayron and his son, Karl, “administratively liable for serious dishonesty and grave misconduct.”

 LGU contract

The case stemmed from the appointment of Karl as project manager of Bantay Puerto VIP Security Task Force during Bayron’s first term as mayor in 2013. The father and son had signed the contractual employment papers stating that they were not related.

The Ombudsman imposed a penalty of permanent dismissal from government service, forfeiture of benefits, cancellation of eligibility and perpetual disqualification from holding any public office.

In an interview aired over radio station Brigada in Puerto Princesa on Monday, Interior Secretary Ismael Sueno said Bayron cannot function as mayor anymore.

“The vice mayor should take over although (Bayron) has a right to elevate the case to the Court of Appeals (CA),” Sueno said.

Bayron, through his lawyer Winston Gonzales, has appealed the Ombudsman’s ruling.

 Legal process

Gonzales said Bayron’s camp had told the DILG that the Ombudsman’s decision was “not final and executory.”

“This is a legal process and we can only heed the decision of the CA or the Supreme Court,” Gonzales said.

The DILG’s order for Bayron to vacate his post stands despite the latter’s pending appeal in the CA, according to Sueno.

“If they are given a TRO, then they can come back. We at the DILG, we only implement the decisions of the court. The Ombudsman had ordered us to serve the dismissal order, so we served it,” he said.

Bayron had reportedly gone on “travel leave” after the DILG served the dismissal order on Feb. 10.

Supporters of Bayron and city government employees gathered at the City Hall grounds for three days last week anticipating the issuance of the Ombudsman’s ruling by the DILG.

But police officials said no untoward incident happened. —MARICAR CINCO AND REDEMPTO ANDA