By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent
ONE moment, it ordered Mayor Oscar Moreno dismissed in connection with city hall’s tax settlement with Ajinomoto Philippines; the next, it presented the local chief executive an award after city hall topped in the government’s antied tape campaign.
Cagayan de Oro bagged the top award given this year by the Office of the Ombudsman, followed by Iloilo City, and then Makati City.
Moreno received the “Blue Certification Award” on Thursday. It was signed by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales, the same official who issued a dismissal order against Moreno and city treasurer Glenn Bañez for grave misconduct because of the tax settlement that did not have the consent of the city council.
Moreno said the award was personally delivered to city hall by a representative of the ombudsman.
“Ang city treasurer’s department man ang covered sa maong award,” he said.
Moreno said he would formally present the award to the public this morning.
Last month, Morales’s decision to dismiss Moreno and Bañez resulted in a political crisis in the city, and a five-day standoff at city hall after Vice Mayor Caesar Ian Acenas asserted that he had the legal right to succeed as mayor. The standoff ended after the Court of Appeals issued a temporary restraining order.
Moreno said of the award: “Duna lagi nangotana kanako kon kini nga award usa ba ka consuelo de bobo or pamoyok, mi-ingon ko dili sab siguro.”
He said the Office of the Ombudsman based the award on “88 categories,” and city hall passed in 68.
“Ang perfect score is 88, and then ang Cagayan de Oro got 68. Taas kaayo. Kitay No. 1 sa tibo-ok nasud sa tanang mga LGUs,” Moreno said.
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