THE Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas found the late Pinamungajan mayor Jeffrey Yapha liable for failing to return seven government-issued firearms.
Yapha died on September 11, 2014, while being treated for a clot in his left leg. He was 57 years old.
The anti-graft office said that although death absolves him of his liabilities, it is proper to resolve the administrative complaint for record purposes.
He was meted a fine of P552,461, which was twice the amount of the firearms he failed to produce.
Graft investigation and prosecution officer Eileen Mae Lagat-Alde said the death of the respondent in an administrative case does not preclude a finding of an administrative liability except in some instances, which are not present in Yapha’s case.
Early on, a certain Rigel Teñedo filed an administrative complaint against Yapha for not returning seven government-issued firearms despite having received three notices from municipal treasurer Ursula Managaytay.
In his counter-affidavit, Yapha denied the allegation.
But Alde said he clearly received firearms from the government but failed to return them.
Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.
