Ombud orders Oca to serve dismissal order vs brgy execs

By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent

THE Office of the Ombudsman has ordered Mayor Oscar Moreno to serve its dismissal order against the barangay chairman of Macasandig and two other village officials in connection with a graft case.
Moreno was given 10 days from receipt of the order to serve the dismissal order against barangay chairman Ernesto Edrote, barangay treasurer Ma. Fe Campanilla, and barangay executive secretary Rey Ranes Balandra.
Whether or not Moreno already received a copy of the order remains unclear at presstime.
Incidentally, Moreno has found himself in a legal battle against a separate dismissal order by the ombudsman, a case that resulted in a five-day standoff at city hall after Vice Mayor Caesar Ian Acenas invoked the rule on automatic succession and swore in as mayor last week. Acenas stepped down on Thursday in compliance to an order by the Court of Appeals.
Edrote were found guilty of grave misconduct by the ombudsman over the alleged purchase of P40 thousand worth of construction materials from an establishment owned by the barangay secretary.
Also ordered dismissed were barangay treasurer Ma. Fe Campanilla and barangay executive secretary Rey Ranes Balandra.
The three officials were ordered dismissed in a seven-page decision signed in Sept. 30 by graft investigator Janice Joanne Torres-Arenas, and approved by Deputy Ombudsman for Mindanao Rodolfo Elman.
The ombudsman also ordered the cancellation of their government service eligibility, the forfeiture of their retirements benefits, and they were barred from government service for life.
The barangay officials were charged before the ombudsman in April 10 by barangay councilor Aaron Neri, Jesus Olano, Carlson Villegas, and Eric Waban. Neri is a former Macasandig barangay chairman and city councilor, and he has filed his certificate of candidacy for a city council seat.
“Supak man sa bala-od alang sa usa ka government official or employee nga ma-o ra say supplier sa gikinahanglan sa barangay kay nahulog kana nga dunay self-interest,” Neri said.
Neri, incidentally, was arrested by the police on Tuesday on orders of a local court in connection with a grave oral defamation case filed by Balandra. He bailed out for P6 thousand.
Edrote and Campanilla have yet to comment on the ombudsman’s order but Balandra told Magnum Radio yesterday that no law was violated, and that he was innocent.
Balandra said the barangay officials went to his family’s store to buy the construction materials.
“Mabut-an ba di-ay nimo ang mga customers kon asa sila mopalit sa ilang gusto paliton nga ila man kanang pagbo-ot?” Balandra asked rhetorically.