Marikina mayor Marcy Teodoro, city officials suspended over alleged PhilHealth fund misuse

The Office of the Ombudsman has placed Marikina City Mayor Marcelino ''Marcy'' Teodoro and other city government officials under preventive suspension without pay for six months over alleged misuse of public funds worth P130 million.

Also suspended were the following respondents:

• City Treasurer Nerissa San Miguel
• City Accountant Erlinda Gonzales
• Assistant City Budget Officer Jason Nepomuceno
• Sangguniang Panlungsod Secretary Noralyn Tingcungco
• Members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod: Vice Mayor Marion Andres, Angelito Nuñez, Joseph Banzon, Donn Carlo Favis, Loreto Tolentino Jr., Serafin Bernardino, Carl Eli Africa, Cloyd Casimiro, Marife Dayao, Levy de Guzman, Romina Kate de Guzman, Samuel Ferriol, Hilario Punzalan, and Manuel Sarmiento.

"This Office finds sufficient grounds to grant complainants' prayer for the issuance of an Order for Preventive Suspension against respondents. Considering that there is strong evidence showing their guilt, the charges against them for grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service may warrant their removal from the service," the Ombudsman said in its order dated March 25.

"Their continued stay in office may prejudice the investigation of the case filed against them; in order to preserve documents and evidence pertaining to this case which they have control and custody; and in order to avoid respondents' commission of further malfeasance and/or misfeasance in office," it added.

The suspension stemmed from the complaint of Marikina resident Sofronio Dulay that Teodoro and his co-respondents had utilized PhilHealth funds for non-health purposes such as IT equipment, infrastructure repair, donations and general supplies.

Citing the Commission on Audit report, the Ombudsman said Marikina's Special Health Fund was spent on items outside the intended scope of health programs with itemization of transactions funded by the PhilHealth reimbursements and matching them to the enabling Ordinance Nos. 066-2023 and 002-2024.

The COA also stated that the expenditures lacked legal basis and flagged them as "irregular or unauthorized use of public funds.''

The Ombudsman also cited an audit trail linking the decisions and approvals made by respondents, including Teodoro, that resulted in improper disbursements.

'Political persecution'

In response, Teodoro said the preventive suspension was politically motivated and aimed at derailing his candidacy for Marikina 1st District Representative.

"I am a casualty of political persecution, plain and simple. In a desperate attempt to besmirch my name, they’ve filed numerous trumped-up charges against me before the Ombudsman, COA, Comelec, Civil Service, and other government agencies," Teodoro said.

"The timing is very questionable, just days before the start of the official campaign period. It’s hard not to see this as a calculated political attack meant to damage my name and candidacy and shake the trust we’ve built with our constituents," he added.

The campaign period for local candidates will begin on March 28.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) First Division earlier canceled Teodoro's certificate of candidacy over misrepresentation of his residence in Marikina's First District.

Teodoro has since appealed the ruling to the Comelec en banc.

"I will not be intimidated. We are confident that we have a strong defense and will prove that these allegations have no basis or merit," Teodoro said. "We will face this head-on, with full transparency and accountability."

Comelec

Meanwhile, the Comelec said Teodoro’s name will remain in the ballot for Eleksyon 2025. 

“As far as the Comelec is concerned, walang epekto samin ang pag-suspend sa isang official…sapagkat ang apektado ay ang pamamahala niya dito sa term of office na kaniyang pinanunungkulan,” said poll chief George Erwin Garcia.

(As far as the Comelec is concerned, an official’s suspension does not affect us because it is related to his term of office.)

“Hanggat wala kaming desisyon na pinal sa kung siya man ay may kinakaharap na kaso o walang utos sa atin ang Supreme Court na final ang judgement, mananatili siyang kandidato ano pa man ang tinangap niya mula sa Ombudsman o ano pang korte. Sapagkat may sariling determination ang Comelec base sa mga kaso na naka-pending sa atin,” he said.

(As long as we have not received a final decision on whether he is facing a case or the Supreme Court has not ordered a final judgment, he will remain a candidate regardless of what he receives from the Ombudsman or any other court. The Comelec has its own determination based on the cases pending before us,) —VBL/RF, GMA Integrated News