News Briefs

RPOC HEAD

Bohol Gov. Edgar Chatto is the newly appointed chairman of the Regional Peace and Council in Central Visayas (RPOC 7).

He replaces Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, who served the council for three terms.

Chatto’s appointment was made official on May 30 by Secretary Jesse Robredo of the Department of Interior and Local Government.

He will preside the next RPOC meeting to be scheduled upon his return from the United States.

The group includes governors, mayors of the Highly Urbanized Cities, presidents of the Leagues of Municipalities of Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental and Siquijor. /Correspondent Carmel Loise Matus

SUSPENDED

The Supreme Court has suspended a Cebu City court interpreter for one year without pay after she was found guilty of threatening and harassing her neighbor.

The high court found sufficient basis to hold Nerissa Balbuena liable for oppression and conduct unbecoming a public officer, misconduct and gross insubordination.

Balbuena, a court Interpreter of the Municipal Trial Court in Cities Branch 7, was also  warned not to commit similar acts in the future for these would be dealt with severely.

John Mendez, Angelito Caballero and Ivy Caballero filed an administrative complaint against Balbuena on May 4, 2006.

Balbuena allegedly berated her neighbor Mendez after his co-workers nearly sideswiped Balbuena’s boarders.

The co-workers apologized. But the next day, Balbuena accompanied by two policemen, entered Mendez’s house, and threw Mendez’s clothes out on the street.

Last June, the Supreme Court ruled on Mendez’s complaint and suspended Balbuena.

Employees of the judiciary should be circumspect on how they conduct themselves inside and outside the office, said Associate Justice Arturo Brion of the High Court’s third division in his decision. /Reporter Ador Vincent S. Mayol