THE Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in Bacolod City served the suspension order of the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas to Barangay 16 village chief Nelson Ligaya Jr. and treasurer Rachel Jamandre Wednesday evening.
Carmelo Orbista, officer-in-charge of DILG-Bacolod, said yesterday that village chief Nelson Ligaya Jr. and its treasurer Rachel Jamandre were suspended for three months without pay effective October 5.
Ligaya and Jamandre were found guilty of simple misconduct and penalized
with a three-month suspension.
The complaint was filed by village councilman Franklin Caceres.
In a six-page decision dated June 9, 2016, the Ombudsman stated that the complainant’s failure to sign barangay resolutions is not a ground for the withholding of his monthly honorarium. It is only when a village council member incurred unauthorized absences that his monthly honorarium can be withheld.
The order was signed by Katherine Arnoco Genovesa-Mahawan, graft investigation and prosecution officer I, and was approved by Jane Aguilar, officer-in-charge Evaluation and Investigation Office, and Deputy Ombudsman for Visayas Paul Elmer Clemente.
On October 19, 2015, Caceres filed a complaint against Ligaya and Jamandre after he failed to receive his monthly honorarium from July to September 2015.
Caceres was not able to receive his honorarium due to an order by the Commission on Audit deferring the encashment checks issued by the barangay.
When the deferment was lifted and despite repeated demands, respondents still refused to release the complainant’s honoraria because of the latter’s failure to sign certain barangay resolutions, the ruling added.
Both Ligaya and Jamandre have filed a motion for reconsideration before the Office of the Ombudsman.
Number one councilman Wendell Billones took over as village chief after taking his oath before Mayor Evelio Leonardia yesterday at the Bacolod Government Center.
