The Office of the Ombudsman – Visayas has denied the motion for reconsideration filed Barangay Ermita captain Felicisimo Rupinta and other barangay elective officials who are currently under a 6-month preventive suspension.
Atty. Corazon Naraja, information officer of the OMBV, said that Rupinta and eight other barangay officials of Ermita questioned their preventive suspension because they allegedly were not informed about the charge beforehand and were not given a chance to refute the allegations.
However, Naraja explained that a preventive suspension is not a disciplinary measure and should not be confused as a penalty.
Under the rules, it is not required that a notice of the charges against the accused must precede an order meting out preventive suspension.
Other officials who were also suspended are Marky Miral, Antonieto Flores, Ryan Jay Rosas, Aljo Tamundo, Domingo Ando, Maria Buanghug and Wilbert Flores.