Bulacan –The Office of the Ombudsman was requested to order the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to enforce the serving of the nine-month-suspension order on San Ildefonso Mayor Paula Carla Galvez-Tan.
For two consecutive Fridays (August 17 and 24), hundreds of supporters of Galvez-Tan gathered in front of the municipal building ready to block the serving of the suspension order.
The Office of the Ombudsman found the lady mayor “administratively liable for conduct Prejudicial to the Best Interest of the Service and Simple Misconduct and is meted the penalty of suspension from office for nine months without pay” and directed the Department of the Interior and Local Government [DILG] to implement the “decision immediately upon receipt thereof.”
The suspension order was based on the complaints filed by San Ildefonso Vice Mayor Luis Sarrondo and four of its municipal councilors, Alexander Galvez, Eriberto Magbitang , Roderick Salvador and Edgardo Vergel.
In a manifestation and motion sent by Sarrondo to the office of the Ombudsman on Monday (august 20), Sarrondo said the complainants received on August 7 the decision on the suspension order issued on April 19 this year.
Sarrondo said that on August 16, the DILG Region III office has confirmed the transmittal of the decision from the DILG central office and that he was informed “the suspension order will be transmitted and will be implemented by the DIL provincial office in Bulacan,” headed by Darwin David.
Later in the day, Sarrondo said David informed him that “he will not implement the suspension order because he allegedly received an email from the DILG central office directing him not to proceed with the enforcement of the order.”
David ”refused to give copy of the email or order as per advise by the Central Office suspending the implementation of the decision dated April 19, 2018,” Sarrondo said.
The vice mayor added that he has “yet to receive any order from this honorable court or from the DILG or any temporary restraining order from the court enjoining the implementation of the decision dated April 19, 2018.”
Sarrondo has asked the Office of the Ombudsman that “the DILG be ordered to implement the suspension order on the respondent in the absence of any order from the Ombudsman or TRO from the court restraining the implementation of the same.”
The lady chief executive thru facebook chat said that she will give her statement regarding her suspension any time soon in a right place and time.
On Friday, hundreds of her supporters trooped in front of the municipal hall from 8AM to 5PM waiting for the serving of suspension order against their mayor to stop the DILG personnel to implement the decision.
A prayer vigil was also conducted during the whole day of office hour while some of them bearing placards signed with “I stand for Mayor Carla, I stand for the truth”.