Dads to replace suspended P’gasinan Mayor, Veem

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

ASINGAN – A lady councilor here said that that the first top two elected municipal legislatures will replace temporarily the mayor and vice mayor here who were suspended for one year by the Ombudsman.

Councilor Evangeline Dorao cited that Councilor and Lawyer Joshua Viray and Councilor Mel Lopez will replace Mayor Heidee Chua and Vice Mayor Carlos Lopez, Jr. after the Ombudsman Conchita C. Morales issued a suspension order last October 13 against them.

She said the assumption of Viray and Lopez will take effect after the full implementation of the order by the Department of Interior & Local Government that according to an expert will take anytime from now.

“I was the only one to have the courage to write the Ombudsman and their indifference (Chua and Lopez) not to reply on my letters,” Dorao told this paper.

The issue according to Dorao was when the mayor and vice mayor of this Eastern Pangasinan town adorned last year with their names and pictures the ambulance bought by the local government unit (LGU).

Upon seeing it, Dorao wrote a letter dated October 10, 2016 to Chua and Lopez warning them of a Memorandum Circular 2010-101 from the DILG that prohibits the placing of names, initials, images or pictures of government officials in billboards and signage on government projects and property. 

Upon the inaction of the duo, the lady member of the Sangguniang Bayan (Legislative Body) wrote another letter dated October 17, 2016 to them without receiving from the mayor and the vice mayor the courtesy of a reply even to the time they both removed on the first week of November last year their names and photos at the external body of the ambulance.

On November 13 this year, the Ombudsman penalized the mayor and vice mayor for conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, simple misconduct, and violation of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

In a news report, Chua said she will contest the "harsh" decision of Morales.

In their counter-affidavit on the administrative case charged against them by the Ombudsman last year, the duo said they immediately acted on the letter of Dorao by removing their pictures and names at the ambulance.

They cited that their acts were not tainted with graft as they used their personal monies as attested by this town’s budget officer, accountant, and treasurer’s certification.

Morales did not consider their defense but differed to the charged of her officer that Chua and Lopez committed grave misconduct of authority.

Morales said their action was not tainted with corruption, clear intent to disregard an establish rule, and grave abuse of authority.

She however penalized them with violation of a section of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees for not answering Dorao’s letters.
The Code cited that punishment of that act shall be a fine not exceeding the equivalent of six months' salary or suspension not exceeding one year.

Morales had directed the DILG to implement its decision to suspend for one year the mayor and vice mayor here.

Section 44 of the Local Government Code of 1991 says “….Subsequent vacancies in the said office shall be filled automatically by the other sanggunian members according to their ranking as defined herein.

Viray and Lopez are the top two highest voted council members in the May 2016 election.

Chua is the first mayor suspended this year by the Ombudsman in the four cities and 44 towns’ Pangasinan.

The other first Chief Executive sacked this year in the same province was Pozorrubio town Mayor Artemio Chan who was found by Morales middle of this year to be administratively culpable in signing a marriage certificate of a couple even though he did not officiate at their wedding.

The Ombudsman cited Chan to commit grave misconduct and serious dishonesty. Morales also ordered the mayor’s perpetual disqualification from holding public office, the cancellation of his civil service eligibility, and forfeiture of his retirement benefits.  

Daniel Sarmiento Jr., an ordinary employee of the LGU, who officiated the wedding on behalf of the mayor, was found guilty of conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service and suspended for nine months.

(My Editorial: Who will be the next chief executives in Pangasinan who will be suspended or removed from office just like Asingan Mayor Heidee Chua and Pozorrubio Mayor Chan if someone file the same complaints against them at the gung-ho’s Ombudsman? Geez man, we are living in an interesting time, sanamagan!)