A screening committee will be established to evaluate applicants for positions in the local government of Bamban, Tarlac that were left vacant following the dismissal of Mayor Alice Guo.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) also bared that the said committee will consist of the DILG’s Undersecretary for Local Government, the Regional Director, three representatives from civil society groups, and the President of the Philippine Councilors League in Tarlac.
The committee aims to ensure that qualified individuals fill the roles, helping stabilize the municipal government amidst the ongoing administrative transitions.
Earlier, reports said acting Mayor Eraño Timbang has stepped up as Bamban mayor. He also vowed to push forward projects that have been stalled amid a leadership shake-up.
Timbang, quoted by GMA News, said will ensure the continuity of Bamban’s municipal programs.
Timbang, notably, was the only councilor who refused to sign the ‘Permit to Operate’ for a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) compound near the municipal hall, which was later raided.
The sudden leadership change follows the Ombudsman’s decision to dismiss Guo from service and suspend the vice mayor and seven other councilors.
Observers say this has left Timbang with significant challenges, as he now leads the municipal government with limited support.
Municipal employees meanwhile expressed concerns over the frequent changes in administration, but said they were “OK.”
The criminal case filed against embattled former Bamban Mayor Alice Guo for misrepresentation will continue despite the recent Ombudsman ruling that essentially unseated her from office, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said on Thursday.
Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia said the misrepresentation complaint against Guo is different from the case lodged before the Office of the Ombudsman, which already dismissed the Bamban mayor from government service after she was found guilty of grave misconduct.
“We will proceed with investigation into the possible criminal liability of dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice Guo for violating election laws,” Garcia said.
The poll chief said the Ombudsman’s decision won’t affect the material misrepresentation case against Guo, saying that the grave misconduct case against the Bamban municipal mayor is administrative in nature while the Comelec is dealing with a criminal complaint.
“As far as the Comelec is concerned, our case is separate and independent. Even if she was removed from her position (as mayor), the (misrepresentation) case will continue to be tried,” he said.
Garcia said Guo could face one to six years imprisonment if found guilty and cannot run for any government position moving forward.
