Mayor, VM Expelled After Adorning Ambulance with their Faces

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY –  The Department of Interior & Local Government  Officer-in-Charge Secretary Eduardo Año  had released to the regional office of the DILG in San Fernando City, La Union the suspension order of the mayor and vice mayor of Asingan, Pangasinan, according to the complainant.

FOES – Political nemesis Asingan Mayor Heidee Chua (L) 

and Councilor Vangie Dorao.

Asingan Councilor Evangeline V. Dorao said the suspension order for the one year suspension of Mayor Heidee Chua and Vice Mayor Carlos Lopez, Jr. was forwarded last Monday by Año to the DILG's regional office.
News report said that the provincial DILG in Pangasinan had implemented last Thursday the suspension of the duo where Councilors Joshua Viray and Mel Lopez took over as mayor and vice mayor, respectively.

Dorao filed a complaint last October 17, 2016 at the Ombudsman after she saw the newly purchased ambulance of the Eastern Pangasinan town embellished with the images of Chua and Lopez.

The legal fiasco of the two town executives ensued when 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, 2017 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.

 Chua told media men that she will contest the "harsh" decision of Morales in a counter-affidavit.

They cited that their acts were not tainted with graft as they used their personal monies as attested by the 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.

Dorao told Northern Watch that she had no photo copies of the order of Año  but had reminded the national and regional DILG offices about the importance of the thirty days period to implement the suspension.

“Naabutan kasi kami ng Holidays and the turned over of leadership at the DILG between Acting Secretaries Catalino Cuy and Año," Dorao said after she followed up in Manila the immediate implementation of the administrative case versus the mayor and vice mayor.