Madridejos town Mayor Salvador Dela Fuente and two other town officials were charged with graft and corruption before the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas for allegedly refusing to pay the salary of a member of the vice mayor’s staff.
Bella Bacolod accused the mayor of harassment, grave abuse of authority and discretion amounting to lack of jurisdiction, malicious mischief and conduct unbecoming a public official in violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Municipal treasurer Filexberta Pabualan and personnel officer Catalino Tamayo were also named respondents in the case.
Bacolod said she was appointed by Vice Mayor Doroteo Salazar on September 3, 2007 as a member of his staff. However, Bacolod said she only reported for work on November 5, 2007.
Since then, Bacolod said she has not been paid of her salary. Instead she was given a memorandum by the mayor threatening her with criminal liability for reporting to vice mayor’s office.
Bacolod said she reported for work at the vice mayor’s office because it was Salazar who appointed her as member of his staff.
Bacolod said she diligently reportedly for work since then but to her surprise, Pabualan did not include her in the payroll. Bacolod said she was told by Pabualan that she will not be paid of her salary allegedly upon orders of the mayor.
But despite the non-payment of her salary, she continue to report for work at the vice mayor’s office for more than half a year.
“I overheard that the cause of this predicament that I am suffering now is that I am perceived to be a follower of the vice mayor and will vote for him in the coming elections if he will run,” Bacolod said in her complaint before the Ombudsman.
Bacolod claimed that she has been a victim of political persecution, describing the mayor’s actuation as “cruel and inhuman.”
Bacolod requested the anti-graft office that she will be paid of the services she rendered and that proper criminal and administrative sanctions should be meted upon dela Fuente and the two other respondents.
Bacolod is likewise seeking for the preventive suspension of the respondents pending the investigation of the case. — Fred P. Languido/LPM
