THE provincial office of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) suspended the four department heads of the Sipalay City Government pursuant to the order of the Office of the Ombudsman for nine months without pay.
DILG-Negros Occidental head Carmelo Orbista said he served the order on April 27, against Sipalay City Budget Officer Fernando Balbon, City General Services Officer Elizer Balbin, City Engineer Porferio Calderon and Executive Assistant of the Bids and Awards Committee Alfredo Lim.
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales signed on February 14, the suspension order against the said city officials who are members of the Bids and Awards Committee who found them guilty of conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service relative to a graft case filed against them in 2007 and 2008 in the city's transaction with a construction firm.
The same suspension order against City Treasurer Renato Manilla was already served by the Bureau of Local Government Finance, Orbista said.
He also said that a temporary restraining order is already moot and academic and the only legal remedy left for the respondents is to bring the case to the Court of Appeals.
Orbista said it's already up to Mayor Oscar Montilla Jr. to decide on the replacement of the said department heads while they are under suspension.
Montilla could not be reached for comment as of press time.
Montilla has just returned to office after he was slapped with a 90-day preventive suspension while a graft case against him continues at the Sandiganbayan.
The mayor was charged with graft over his alleged delay in serving suspension orders issued by the Office of the Ombudsman.
Montilla is facing one count of violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act for repeatedly delaying orders to suspend city government employees Evangeline Seneres, Eva Sabusap, Fernando Balhin, Noel Villanueva and Renato Manilla.
The mayor is accused of giving unwarranted benefits to the five employees by "delaying for years, without legal basis, the implementation of the said suspension despite repeated directives from the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas, to the detriment of public service."
