DILG: Municipal councilor to serve as acting Bamban mayor

A municipal councilor is set to replace Alice Guo as the acting mayor of Bamban, Tarlac after the Ombudsman ordered her dismissal for grave misconduct, Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos said Wednesday.

Abalos said Municipal Councilor Erano Timbang will temporarily serve as the town mayor for three months. Timbang was acquitted by the anti-graft body for opposing the issuance of permit to the raided POGO firm in the municipality.

“Konsehal siya ng Sangguniang Bayan. Councilor siya pero nag-oppose nung kinukuha ang permit. Since he opposed, he was absolved or acquitted by the Ombudsman,” Abalos told reporters.

(He is a municipal councilor but he opposed the issuance of permit for the POGO firm. Since he opposed it, he was absolved by the Ombudsman.)

“Siya ngayon ang tatayong mayor for three months, kasi after three months tapos na ang vice mayor, by succession na ‘yan,” he said.

(He would be the acting mayor for three months because the suspension of the vice mayor will end by then.)

Abalos said Timbang will take oath as acting mayor at Camp Crame in Quezon City on August 14. He also said he had already instructed the DILG regional director to submit a report on filling up the vacant posts amid the suspension of other local officials.

“Sana galangin natin ang decision ng Korte…Ito ay dumaan sa proseso, sana galangin natin ito,” he added.

(Let's respect the court decision which underwent a process.)

Administered by Abalos, Erano took his oath during a ceremony at Camp Crame, Quezon City on Wednesday afternoon.

“Sa ngalan po ng munisipyo ng Bamban, ako po ay nalulungkot sa nangyari sa aming bayan. Nakilala po ang aming bayan sa ganitong pamamaraan,” he said.

(On behalf of the municipality of Bamban, I am saddened by what happened to our town. Our town had to be known in this manner.)

“Pero rest assured po bilang acting mayor ay gagawin ko po anuman po yung mga naantalang proyekto ng former administration. Lalo ko pong pagsisikapan na gawin yung tungkulin na inatang sa akin ng gobyerno,’ he added.

(But rest assured, as acting mayor, I will work on the delayed projects of the former administration. I will do my best in my duty assigned to me by the government.)

In a 25-page decision released to the media on Tuesday, the Ombudsman has ordered the dismissal of suspended Mayor Guo for grave misconduct.

The Ombudsman dismissed Guo from service with forfeiture of all her retirement benefits as well as perpetual disqualification from public office.

Guo’s acts such as her involvement in the raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub in her locality showed a “willful intent on her part to violate the law or disregard established rules," according to the Ombudsman.

“The series of acts are interconnected leaving no other conclusion than that they were committed by Guo with ulterior motive or self-interest,” the decision said.

This was based on the complaint filed by the DILG accusing Guo and other local officials of committing grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, gross neglect of duty, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

Aside from this, the Ombudsman also suspended for three months the following officials after they were found guilty of conduct prejudicial to the best interest of service:

Bamban Vice Mayor Leonardo Anunciacion

Business Permit and Licensing Officer Edwin Ocampo

Municipal Legal Officer Adenn Sigua

Sangguniang Bayan member Johny Sales

Sangguniang Bayan member Jayson S. Galang

Sangguniang Bayan member Nikko T. Balilo

Sangguniang Bayan member Ernesto Salting

Sangguniang Bayan member Jose M. Salting Jr.

Sangguniang Bayan member Robin Mangiliman

Sangguniang Bayan member Jose Casmo Aguilar

Sangguniang Bayan member Mary Andrei Lacsamana, and 

Sangguniang Bayan member Ranier Rivera

--VAL/RF, GMA Integrated News