Suspended Bulacan mayor stays in office

MALOLOS CITY, Philippines – Mayor Feliciano Legazpi of Norzagaray town has denied reports that he has been removed from office.

In a telephone interview yesterday, Legazpi said the order of the Office of the Ombudsman suspending him for six months over a case filed against him by former municipal budget officer Yolanda Ervas is not yet final.

He added that he filed a motion for reconsideration 11 days ago.

“I am still the mayor of Norzagaray and there is no tension here,” Legazpi said.

He said Ervas filed the same case against him with the Civil Service Commission and that the Ombudsman should have waited for the CSC decision before issuing a decision suspending him.

“It is a very simple case of transferring Ervas to another post because I find her not effective in doing her job as budget officer, but she filed a case before the Ombudman and my explanation wasn’t given enough weight,” Legazpi said.

He added that the CSC gave him the green light to transfer Ervas. “The CSC told us that it is okay, and that it is within my prerogative as mayor,” he said.

“I believe there are powerful politicians behind the case because we first filed a case against her but the case remain dormant,”  he added.

Meanwhile, Legazpi warned Vice Mayor Rogelio Santos against immediately assuming the post of acting mayor, saying he could be charged with usurpation of authority.

The mayor said that Santos took his oath of office last Friday before a lawyer in Malolos City and issued a memorandum to municipal department heads to report to him yesterday.

“He should wait until the Ombudsman decides on our motion,” Legazpi said.