Town mayor charged before Ombudsman

CEBU - Alleged political insecurities have broken the bond between former allies and running mates Madridejos Mayor Salvador dela Fuente and Vice Mayor Doroteo Salazar that ended up in the filing of a string of criminal and administrative complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas against the mayor.   

Salazar accused dela Fuente and municipal treasurer Felixberta Pabualan of usurpation of authority, grave abuse of authority and discretion, harassment, ineptitude and negligence in the performance of official duties and conduct unbecoming of government officials.

The vice mayor alleged that dela Fuente has interfered in the affairs of the municipal council by deciding on who among the councilors will hold a committee chairmanship. He said it is not only that he was not given a committee, his proposals and suggestions on programs beneficial to the government were also ignored.

Salazar said the mayor has not also released his salary since June as well as the salaries of the employees appointed under the office of the vice mayor. He said he appointed employees of the Sangguniang Bayan in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government Code but these were allegedly not recognized by dela Fuente.

In connivance with the treasurer, he said the mayor allegedly signed and approved the payroll for the employees under the Sangguniang Bayan. He added that dela Fuente’s arrogance and insistence to approve the payroll for the Sangguniang Bayan is a violation of law for being a usurpation of the power of the vice mayor who heads the legislative branch of the municipal government.

Salazar also cried political harassment because his office was not given a budget for travel, training, seminar, office supplies, communication and other important expenses in the 2009 budget. The mayor allegedly reduced the budget of the council next year for almost P1 million.

Salazar, a doctor of education, also accused dela Fuente of violating the provisions of the memorandum order 32 of the Commission on Higher Education when the latter insisted on sitting as chairman of the board of trustees of the town’s community college.

The position requires a doctorate degree but dela Fuente allegedly insisted on occupying it even if he knew that he was not qualified having not finished a course in college.

Salazar said that the mayor has been negligent in his duties and functions having no single project since his assumption to office in spite of the mandated 20-percent development fund in their annual budget.

The town has allocated P12 million development fund for two years already but until now no project allegedly has been implemented.

Salazar said the town was also a signatory of a memorandum of agreement with the provincial government for the concreting of the 14 barangay roads of the municipality.

Under the agreement, the provincial government will supply the cement while the town will take care of the sand and gravel, deform bars and other materials and equipment needed for the construction.

Governor Gwendolyn Garcia gave the town 6,000 bags of cement in May but these were left stockpiled in the cultural center and have already started to harden. The barangay captains have reportedly asked for it by requesting the mayor but the latter has not acted on the requests.

Salazar is asking the anti-graft office that proper penalties such as suspension and even dismissal from service should be meted against dela Fuente and Pabualan for violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees. — Fred P. Languido/WAB (THE FREEMAN)