Mandaue City College wants suspension of city officials

CEBU, Philippines - The Mandaue City College is asking for a 90-day suspension of the Mandaue City mayor, vice mayor and city councilors while their investigation by the Ombudsman for alleged corruption is still ongoing.

This was said in a letter sent by the Faculty Association of MCC to the office of the Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Pelagio Apostol dated last Friday.

In the letter, MCC also moved for the speedy trial of the case and the rendering of an order mandating Mandaue City to pay the teacher’s unpaid salaries now amounting to P10.8 million.

MCC teachers group believe that their complaint on the alleged failure of Mandaue officials to release the P5 million annual subsidy to MCC since 2006 is a prima facie case with enough evidence to prove that Mandaue City officials are at fault.

This as the Ombudsman Visayas has forwarded the MCC official complaint with attached evidence to a graft investigator.

“It means that our complaint has prima facie evidence against the elected officials of Mandaue City for failure to give the P5 Million annual subsidy to MCC under Dr. Paulus Cañete since 2006 up to 2009 now amounting to P20 million,” MCC Faculty Association President Elmer Quinto Ripalda said.

 “Their continued and firm defiance to release the subsidy is a gross violation of Section 3 of the Republic Act 3019 known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act,” Ripalda said.

MCC also insist that Mandaue officials violated Republic Act No. 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees for gross and inexcusable negligence of duty.

“Based on the doctrine of negligent conduct, a government employee is liable for damages or injuries as a result of negligent performance or non-performance of one’s obligation,” Ripalda said.

“You can just imagine the enormous effect to the family members of the 66 faculty and employees of MCC whose salaries have been unpaid since 2006 up to 2009. These city officials deprived the basic needs of their families for almost four years,” Ripalda added.

The 90-day urgent suspension is demanded to preserve the sanctity of the records pertaining to the case, avoid manipulations and threat towards the faculty and employees of MCC and depositions and reception of evidences to teach them that graft and corruption has no place in this highly urbanized city as said. — Jessica Ann R. Pareja/BRP (THE FREEMAN)