Court removes Koronadal mayor

KORONADAL CITY—A court here ordered the removal of Mayor Eliordo Ogena from office after finding that he was legally unfit to hold public office.

Judge Jordan Reyes of Regional Trial Court Branch 42 issued the order based on a quo warranto petition filed by Vice Mayor Peter Miguel, who cited Ogena’s having “committed an offense involving moral turpitude” as a ground for his disqualification for holding public office.

‘Unlawful’

In 2016, the Supreme Court found Ogena, a lawyer, guilty of engaging in “unlawful, dishonest, immoral or deceitful conduct” for notarizing some documents. It suspended Ogena from practicing law for two years and permanently barred him from being a notary public.

Ogena, who ran and won as mayor in the May 2019 elections, said his camp already received the Koronadal court’s order and that his lawyers were preparing an appeal.

He refused to vacate his post, saying the decision was not immediately executory.—BONG S. SARMIENTO