RIZAL, Kalinga—The Ombudsman has ordered the suspension of this town’s Mayor Marcelo dela Cruz Jr. for 90 days without pay after finding him liable for simple misconduct.
In an eight-page decision penned by Graft Investigation and Prosecution Officer II John Paul P. Galang and approved by Ombudsman Concita Carpio-Morales, it found the complaint filed by Sangguniang Bayan Members Rogelio D. Lawad, Robert R. Echalar, Frank Wad-asen, Colin T. Dalanao and Ponz Anthony L. Orodio as meritorious.
Records show that Dela Cruz authorized the disbursement of funds from the savings of the municipality in 2014 for the grant of cash gifts and incentives to municipal casual employees and barangay officials, barangay tanods, barangay health workers, day care workers and barangay nutrition scholars.
