Ombud suspends two D’bantayan officials

The Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas has ordered the suspension of two top officials of barangay Malbago in Daanbantayan, Cebu for releasing P100,000 in government funds without authorization from the village council.

Barangay Captain Virgilio Misa and Treasurer Jubert Misa were found guilty of simple misconduct and were meted a four-month suspension without pay.

Daanbantayan Mayor Augusto Corro was mandated by the anti-graft office to implement the order.

The issue stemmed from a complaint filed by four councilmen of barangay Malbago last year.

The complainants claimed that the two respondents issued two checks for the payment of the hospital bills of the village chieftain’s father as well as for the purchase of assorted goods for the residents and several materials for the road-concreting project of the barangay.

They said the release of the checks was not approved by the council.

The absence of a council resolution was shown in the Summary of Disbursement Vouchers prepared by the municipal accountant of Daanbantayan.

The barangay captain denied the allegations before the Ombudsman. The barangay secretary, on the hand, did not file any counter-affidavit.

In her resolution, graft investigation and prosecution officer Mona Chica Cabanes-Gillamac said that absence of a barangay resolution for the release of government funds could not be denied by the two respondents.

“Respondents willful commission of an unauthorize act depite their knowledge that they have disregarded legal procedures in making the foregoing disbursements clearly evinces that they acted in bad faith,” she said.