South Cotabato prov’l board suspends 2 mayors

KORONADAL CITY, SOUTH COTABATO, Philippines — The South Cotabato provincial board suspended two reelectionist mayors for abuse of authority and violation of the Constitution stemming from cases earlier filed against them by a Small Town Lottery (STL) operator and a constituent.

Banga Mayor Evangeline Palencia and Tboli Mayor Keo Dale Tuan were ordered suspended for 120 days and 180 days, respectively, in a resolution issued by the provincial board on Monday. Their suspension took effect on Tuesday.

Palencia’s suspension stemmed from a complaint filed by STL operator JY Archers against her and members of the municipal council last year after the council passed a resolution suspending all STL operations in the town.

JY Archers, in its complaint, said the local lottery was under the control and supervision of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, a government-owned and controlled corporation under the Office of the President, hence, can not be closed down by local authorities.

Palencia said she would seek a temporary restraining order from the Court of Appeals or from the Office of the President.

Meanwhile, Tuan was suspended for 180 days for granting tax incentives to the family-owned Crown Jewel Hotel in his town.

Evelyn Montil Gregorio, a resident of Tboli who filed the complaint as a taxpayer, claimed that local officials bypassed procedures in the granting of tax incentives.

Albert Palencia, municipal administrator and the mayor’s husband, described the provincial board’s action as “politically motivated.”

But South Cotabato Vice Gov. Arthur Pingoy Jr., the board’s presiding officer, said they processed the complaints against Tuan and Palencia with impartiality and objectivity. —Edwin O. Fernandez