DILG serves suspension order vs Cabahug, son

CEBU, Philippines - The suspension order against Mandaue City Councilor Editha Cabahug and her son, Looc barangay councilman Raul Kevin Cabahug, have been officially served yesterday.

This was confirmed by Department of Interior and Local Government city director Jhoaben Lucero in a phone interview with The FREEMAN last night.

Lucero said the suspension order was served on the Cabahugs at the Office of the City Administrator around 2 p.m. yesterday.

With the suspension order in effect, the Cabahug mother-and-son will be barred from serving their functions as public officials within 60 days.

The court order was a result of anti-graft charges filed by a certain Jesus Flores against the Cabahugs before the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas after they allegedly failed to release his terminal leave benefits amounting to P148,246.

Judge Raphael Yrastorza issued an order in September 2013 placing the officials under preventive suspension for 60 days.

Editha then filed a motion for reconsideration in court in which they argued that they were not given due process because of an absence of a pre-suspension hearing.

But last January 30, 2015, RTC Branch 28 Judge Mercedita Dadole-Ygnacio denied their appeal and instead ordered DILG-7 to implement the preventive suspension against Editha and Kevin, as the other respondents of the case are no longer in service.

Editha earlier said they will abide by the court’s order, although they are optimistic the case won’t prosper any further.

Cabahug believed the case against her and her son will not flourish because their decision not to release the benefits of Flores was backed by decisions coming from both the Department of Budget and Management and the Civil Service Commission.

She said the circular from both agencies pointed out that leave credits can only be granted to barangay officials starting 2004, but Flores cannot avail of such benefits because he served the barangay only from 1989 to 2002. (FREEMAN)