By SHIELA MAE BUTLIG
Correspondent
THE Court of Appeals’ temporary restraining order (TRO) on the Office of the Ombudsman’s ruling to suspend Mayor Oscar Moreno for graft will cease to take its effect today.
But the regional office of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) yesterday said it has yet to receive a directive to serve the suspension order against Moreno.
“I have not received anything. Igo lang man mi suguon. Karon wala pa gyud naeceive,” said Arnel Agabe, DILG director for northern Mindanao.
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales has slapped Moreno, city accountant Beda Joy Elot and city budget officer Percy Salazar with a 90-day suspension order in connection with the graft case filed by Puntod barangay chairman Marvin Beja.
Beja accused the three city hall officials of leasing a property for P35 thousand a month from August to December in 2013 for the training of boxers without the approval of the city council.
Moreno has denied any wrongdoing, and has challenged the ombudsman’s decision. In Aug. 4, Moreno secured a 60-day TRO that stopped the DILG and the Office of the Ombudsman from implementing the suspension order against the mayor, Elot and Salazar.
Moreno’s lawyer Bryan Dale Mordeno said he has sought an injunction against the implementation of the suspension order.
“We filed a motion for a hearing or submission of memo two weeks ago” pertaining to the move for an injunction, Mordeno told the Gold Star Daily.
He said the CA has yet to act on the motion at presstime.
Technically, said Mordeno, the TRO would cease to take effect by 5 pm today.
Mordeno said that in the event that the appellate court does not act on the plea for an injunction today, he doubts if the 90-day suspension order would take effect immediately.
“Succession is not automatic. There is a process,” he argued.
Mordeno also pointed out that Vice Mayor Joaquin Uy appeared not in a hurry to assume as acting mayor, citing that the mayor and vice mayor are partymates.
He said Uy would likely follow a process.
“I don’t think there will be tension, I don’t think we will be seeing anyone taking an oath of office tomorrow night (tonight),” he said. (with reports from herbie gomez)
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