A municipal mayor in Quezon province, along with her husband, is facing an administrative and criminal complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with her supposed lavish lifestyle.
In a seven-page complaint-affidavit, Norvell George Luna from Barangay Iba, Palsabangon, Pagbilao said incumbent Pagbilao Mayor Shierre Ann Portes Palicpic, and her husband, Municipal Administrator Ian Talusit Palicpic of violating Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, and the Revised Rules on Administrative Cases in the Civil Service for “leading their lives excessively and arrogantly, and instead of upholding public interest, [they] espoused their personal interests.”
He claimed the Palicpic couple had “travelled extensively—to both local and international destinations” from 2007 to 2017 from four to 28 days in 16 countries, including Europe, the United States of America and Asia, and that their lavish lifestyle “were further displayed during the grandeur celebrations of their and their relatives’ birthday.
“Also, they are fond of displaying their various collections of expensive bracelets, high-end rubber shoes, top-of-the-line toys, club membership photographs and luxurious activities,” the complaint read.
As of 2017, the municipal administrator has three “sole” proprietorships of businesses registered with the Department of Trade and Industry engaged in construction aggregates, trucking, heavy equipment, space rentals, car exchange and service centers, Luna alleged.
He said the administrator owned 38 trucks, trailers, tankers and trailer heads worth P38 million, a Humvee worth P2 million and a
Nissan Terrano, while the mayor had requested for the allocation of an undisclosed amount of funds for the purchase of 27 tricycle patrol units and other service vehicles.
According to Luna, the respondents extended “undue advantage to, and acted with manifest partiality in favor of their previous employer —Team Energy Corp.,” “a key reason behind the mayor’s refusal to grant a business permit to Pagbilao Energy Corp. in 2018.”