Ombud requested to train council members on hearing admin raps

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella yesterday asked the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas to orient the city councilors and their executive assistants on the rules and procedures in administrative adjudication.

This after the anti-graft body denied his request to allow the City Council to inhibit itself from conducting administrative disciplinary proceedings against elective barangay officials due to possible “biases.”

Although barangay elections are supposedly non-partisan under the law, elected barangay officials and losing candidates have allied and identified themselves with local parties and their representatives

Labella had argued that while it is true that one of the functions of the City Council is quasi-judicial, not all members know the rules and regulations in handling administrative infractions of barangay officials.

“I think we should admit that members of the City Council don’t have formal training of the conduct of administrative investigation,” he said, adding that executive assistants should likewise be included in the training since they are the ones who help the city councilors.

“So that whoever will be charged will not somehow say that there was no observance of due process,” he further said, emphasizing that administrative adjudication is very important in due process.

He maintained that City Council members should inhibit from conducting administrative investigations involving barangay officials, especially during election season because “the perception of bias” is very important.

He said politics would always be involved since these barangay officials may be their political allies or are identified with the other camp.

Both the City Council and the Ombudsman have concurrent jurisdictions in investigating administrative cases pursuant to the provisions of the Local Government Code of 1991 and the Ombudsman Act of 1989.

Labella, though, said they will abided by the Ombudsman decision and that if there are referrals from the said office the City Council will create a Committee on Three to conduct the administrative investigation.

“Whatever the recommendation of the Committee on Three is subject to the approval of the City Council,” he said. — (FREEMAN)