THE Office of the Ombudsman on Thursday said the Sandiganbayan has issued a 60-day preventive suspension order on a Surigao del Norte mayor for graft for appointing his sister as his consultant.
As posted on its official website, the Ombudsman said San Benito Mayor Rushford Dedumo violated Section 13 of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act or Republic Act No. 3019.
In January last year, the Office of the Ombudsman in Mindanao found probable cause to charge Dedumo and his sister Flordeliza Coro, a former judge, for allegedly giving the latter unwarranted benefit, advantage or preference through her appointment as a consultant at the office of the mayor.
The Supreme Court earlier issued a dismissal order on Dedumo’s sister from being a municipal judge in Del Carmen, Surigao del Norte.
Dedumo is facing trial for graft before the Sandiganbayan.
The Ombudsman said Coro was able to obtain a P22,760 cash advance for travel expenses in Manila despite not being an employee of the municipal government.
Coro returned the money to the municipal government, but the Ombudsman claimed the act does not erase her culpability under the law.
According to the Ombudsman, the Sandiganbayan has directed Secretary Eduardo Año of the Department of Interior and Local Government to implement the suspension order.
