THE Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the implementation of two preventive suspension orders on Samar’s Catbalogan City Mayor Stephany Uy and the other local officials for grave abuse of authority, grave misconduct, and gross neglect of duty.
These were in addition to violation of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees or Republic Act 6713 in connection with the purchase of farm lots with a market value of P155,497.84 for P120,225,000 and the lease for a public market in 2016.
Ombudsman Samuel Martires backed the recommendation of Special Prosecutor Edilberto Sandoval, ordering Secretary Eduardo Año to implement the suspension orders “immediately upon receipt hereof, and to notify this Office within five days from said receipt of the status of said implementation.”
Apart from Uy, also ordered suspended were Vice Mayor Art Sherwin Gabon; city councilors Maximo Pescos, Edward Uy, Christine Joy Escober, Beethoven Bermeo and Nannette Jasmin; accountant Peachy Daguman; treasurer Elizabeth Lim; budget officer Ma. Theresa Aroza; assessor Romero Tuazon; assistant city assessor Arthur Macabare, and tax mappers Rody Ocenar and Rizal Ignacio.
The complainant—Bernard Jake Ramos—accused the city officials “in cooperation with one another, purchased the agricultural lands of Alvin Cesar L. Laohoo and Lorenzo L. Laohoo Jr. at an exorbitant price of P120,225,000 with a market value of P155,497.84.”
Based on court records, the city council passed an ordinance in 2015 authorizing the city government to borrow P125 million from the Development Bank of the Philippines for some of its various infrastructure projects.
On June 8, 2015, the council passed an ordinance and two resolution authorizing Uy to enter into a deed of sale for the acquisition of the lands, ratification of the term loan agreement and reclassification of the agricultural land.
“All the resolutions and ordinances were approved by Stephany just in one day of 14 June 2016,” Ramos said.
The Ombudsman “after a careful evaluatoin of the complaint and its supporting documents, this Office finds sufficient basis to place respondents Stephany, Gabon, Coefredo, Jeffrey, Pescos, Edward, Escober, Bermejo, Jasmin, Tuazon, Macabare, Ignacio under preventive suspension pending investigation of the case.”
“The eventual purchase thereof which drained the government funds worth P120,225,000, likewise shows a grossly prejudicial act against the government.”
The respondents were “hereby preventively suspended during the pendency of this case until its termination, but not to exceed the total period of six months without pay. In case of delay in the disposition of the case due to the fault, negligence or any cause attributable to the respondent, the period of such delay shall not be counted in computing the period of the preventive suspension.”
“The evidence of guilt, however, against respondents Daguman, Lim, Aroza and Ocenar is not strong. The prayer for preventive suspension against them is denied,” the anti-graft court ruled.
In another resolution, the Ombudsman ordered the six-month suspension without pay of Stephany Uy, Coefredo Uy, Macabare, Aquino, Pescos, Bermejo, Edward Uy and Jasmin for grave misconduct, grave abuse of authority, Conduct Prejudicial to the Best Interest of the Service, and violation of RA 6713 in connection with allowing a private sector to lease of the 10,027-square meter Catbalogan public market in 2916.
The case was filed in 2017 by the Catbalogan public market vendors, led by Mario Yamugan.
