2 provincial govs suspended

Two provincial governors were suspended yesterday on orders of the Sandiganbayan and the Office of the Ombudsman.

Western Samar Gov. Milagrosa Tan was ordered suspended for 90 days by the Sandiganbayan on Oct. 17, while the Office of the Ombudsman ordered the suspension of Bataan Gov. Enrique Garcia for six months on Nov. 5.

Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno said Tan and Garcia were suspended based on two separate complaints for graft and other criminal charges against them before the Sandiganbayan and the Office of the Ombudsman.

“Let me point out that the DILG is merely implementing these preventive suspension orders issued by higher authorities against the two governors,” he said.

 “We are duty bound to comply immediately with these directives.” Puno said policemen cannot engage in any dispersal of supporters of the two governors without his approval.

“I don’t want to turn these issues to peace and order situation, when there is legal process,” he said.

Puno directed Western Samar Vice Gov. Jesus Redaja to assume the post of governor in an acting capacity for the duration of Tan’s 90-day suspension.

Bataan Vice Gov. Serafin Roman shall act as governor while Garcia is suspended for a period not exceeding six months, he added.

William Paler, Eastern Visayas DILG regional director, and top DILG officials in Samar served Tan’s suspension on Nelia Cruz of the Human Resource Management Office of Samar, and provincial information officer Cristine Caidic in the absence of the governor.

Tan is reportedly in Metro Manila.

After serving the suspension order, Pa­ler presided over the oath-taking of Redaja as acting governor of Samar.

Senior Board Member Nancy Rosales is expected to assume the post of the vice governor.

Peace and order

Anti-riot police have been sent to Balanga to maintain peace and order.

In Western Samar, the Sandiganbayan also placed on preventive suspension provincial administrative officer Rolando Montejo, provincial accountant Romeo Reales, provincial budget officer Maximo Sison and property inspection officer Numeriano Legaspi in connection with eight counts of graft filed against them before the anti-graft court.

The Office of the Ombudsman lodged the cases before the Sandiganbayan against Tan and the four other public officials of Western Samar in 2004 based on the complaint of Fr. Noel Labendia, parish priest of the Diocese of Calbayog.

The complainant accused Tan, Montejo, Reales, Sison and Legaspi of conspiring to approve the anomalous purchases of P16.1 million worth of supposed “emergency supplies” for typhoon victims of the province without the benefit of any public bidding.

In Garcia’s case, he and legal officer Aurelio Angeles Jr., treasurer Emerlinda Talento and administrator Rodolfo de Mesa were ordered suspended by the Ombudsman pending their trial on charges of plunder, falsification of public documents, and malversation of public funds.

Investigation by the Office of the Ombudsman showed the Bataan Provincial Government caused the tax delinquency sale in February 2004 of the properties of Sunrise Paper Products Industries, consisting of a paper plant and two parcels of land in Barangay Doña, Orani, Bataan.

The province acquired all the properties for the amount of tax delinquencies in accordance with RA 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991, there being no bidder during the public auction.

On March 5, 2005, the Bataan Provincial Government moved for the consolidation of its titles over the properties. But on April 21, 2005, Sunrise assailed the validity of the tax auction of its properties before the Bataan Regional Trial Court.

Two other creditors of Sunrise also filed their interventions in the said civil case.Although Sunrise and the Bataan Provincial Government later settled their claims amicably, Josechito Gonzaga, Ruel Masino and Alfredo Santos – all former workers of Sunrise – filed graft charges against Garcia and the three other provincial officials of Bataan before the Office of the Ombudsman. – Cecille Suerte Felipe, Mi­riam Desacada, Raffy Viray, Ric Sapnu