The Office of the Ombudsman has meted a 6-month suspension to a
dead town councilor in Porac, Pampanga for “gross neglect of duty.”
Former councilor, Regin Clarete, died in May 2023. She was succeeded by his older sister, Myla Clarete, in the Sangguniang Bayan in September 2023.
Myla is now the acting mayor of Porac following the preventive suspension of 11 public officials in their town including Mayor Jaime “Jing” Capil, Vice Mayor Francis Laurence Tamayo, and the late Regin in relation to the gross neglect of duty case filed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Myla assumed office on October 10. She is the sister-in-law of former councilor Mike Tapang, who is also eyeing the mayoral post.
Also suspended were councilors Rohner Buan, Rafael Canlapan, Adrian Carreon, Essel Joy David, Hilario Dimalanta, Michelle Santos, and John Nuevy Venzon.
Additionally, Emerald Vital, licensing assistant and former officer-in-charge of the business permit and licensing was also suspended.
“They are hereby preventively suspended during the pendency of this case until its termination, but not to exceed the total period of sic (6) months, without pay,” the order stated.
iOrbit News Team reached out to Myla. We will update this story once we receive her response.
According to Capil, they were not given due process asdid not receive any complaint and they were also not given chance to reply.
“We did not receive the complaint and we’re not given the chance to reply,” Mayor Jing Capil said. “From all indications, we were not given due process.”