Leave or be removed, dismissed local execs warned

Dismissed and suspended local government officials were warned yesterday that police will forcibly remove them if they do not leave their offices at city hall or the provincial capitol within 48 hours.

Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno said policemen will be sent to maintain peace and order in areas where supporters of dismissed or suspended mayors or governors are massing up.

"But if they (dismissed or suspended governors and mayors and their supporters) don’t leave, the police have to disperse them," he said.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar Calderon said police regional, provincial, district and station commanders are under orders to deploy their men at strategic points to prevent any untoward incidents.

"We must ensure the safety of the public while the rule of law is enforced," he said.

Chief Superintendent Samuel Pagdilao Jr., PNP spokesman, said service of the suspension orders is a Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) matter and the police will render assistance if the need arises.

"The PNP chief directed the concerned police RDs (regional directors) to deploy adequate personnel to ensure that peace and order and not chaos reign supreme in their respective areas, the service of suspension orders is a DILG matter," he said.

"Any police assistance will be rendered upon request of the serving/enforcing authority and on orders of the national headquarters."

Meanwhile, Interior Undersecretary Wencelito Andanar swore in yesterday afternoon Vice Gov. Richard Recto as acting governor of Batangas, replacing Gov. Armand Sanchez, who has been suspended for six months by the Office of the Ombudsman.

Andanar said the camp of Sanchez has reportedly indicated an intention to leave the capitol to allow a smooth turnover of administration.

Recto said he would immediately order audits on personnel, property and finances of the province.

Earlier, Puno advised mayors and governors who have cases pending in the Office of the Ombudsman to clarify the status of their cases.

"No political color should be attached to the DILG’s implementation of the Ombudsman’s orders, since the department is merely carrying out the directives of an independent, constitutional body that has administrative powers under the law to dismiss public officials," he said.

The dismissal orders of the Office of the Ombudsman are not covered by the election ban, which officially took effect last Sunday, he added.

Records showed Iloilo Gov. Niel Tupas was ordered dismissed after the Office of the Ombudsman found him administratively liable for illegally releasing public funds for a seminar that never took place.

Pasay City Mayor Wenceslao Trinidad, along with Vice Mayor Antonio Calixto and eight councilors were dismissed for grave misconduct after the Office of the Ombudsman found them administratively liable for circumventing the law on public bidding in the award of service contracts for garbage collection and disposal.

Jaen, Nueva Ecija Mayor Anthony Esquivel was administratively held liable and criminally charged with violating the rules of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) for illegal recall of appointments of three Board of Directors of the Jaen Water District.

Last week, Puno placed on preventive suspension municipal mayors Joel Panaligan of Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro; Ricardo Evangelista of Aguilar, Pangasinan; and Joniper Villegas of Vallehermoso, Negros Occidental on orders of the Office of the Ombudsman.

Panaligan’s six-month suspension stemmed from charges of falsification of payroll for casual employees of the Sangguniang Bayan.

Evangelista was suspended for four months in connection with his alleged unauthorized use of the Special Education Fund for his municipality.

The six-month suspension of Villegas was in connection with alleged misconduct for the illegal dismissal of municipal employees.