DILG: Council has power to suspend barangay officials

CEBU CITY, Philippines—Can the Cebu City Council suspend an elected barangay official? The Department of Interior and Local Government in Cebu City (DILG-Cebu City) says ‘yes.’ 

DILG-Cebu City acting director, Emma Joyevelyn Calvo, said the Local Government Code provides authority to members of the legislative to impose disciplinary action among elected barangay officials.

In Barangay Mambaling, two barangay captains are currently holding office. 

Incumbent Gines Abellana, who is allied with Partido-Barug, refused to abide by the suspension order issued against him by the city council, citing the absence of an implementing order from the DILG. 

It stemmed from a complaint filed by four village councilors belonging to the administration party Bando Osmeña

Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) who accused Abellana of allegedly refusing to release their P18,000 monthly honoraria since July. 

One of the complainants, Anne Marie Palomo, took her oath of office yesterday, Thursday (January 11) before Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña as the acting barangay captain of Mambaling being the village’s first councilor. 

Palomo immediately assumed her post. 

However, Calvo said their office is not authorized to implement the suspension against Abellana, considering that it came from the city council. 

“Since it was the SP (Sangguniang Panlungsod) who made the order, it’s up to them to choose or who to instruct to serve the suspension order. Our office is not aware of anything about this,” Calvo said in Cebuano. /rcg