Ombud suspends Labangon village chief, three other barangay execs

THE Ombudsman-Visayas issued a six-month suspension order against Labangon barangay chairman Victor Buendia and three other barangay workers for the demolition of a stall owned by a vendor in the Labangon Public Market in 2014.

The anti-graft office found Buendia, barangay councilman Ronald Dagatan, barangay chief tanod Celerina De Los Reyes and Market Administrator Lolita Lumibaw guilty of oppression for ordering the demolition of the market stalls “with force and intimidation.”

“The complainant’s eviction from his stall had no clear and legal basis… When complainant refused to vacate his stall, respondents should not have taken the law into their own hands and deprive complainant of his means of livelihood,” read the decision penned by Graft Investigation and Prosecution Officer Vivien Leigh Santiago-Lumangtad dated February 19.

Pepito P. Pepito, owner the demolished stall, filed the case against Buendia and the other barangay officials last year.

Pepito brought a copy of the decision which he also received Tuesday morning to the office of Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama.

The decision also directs the city mayor to implement the decision against the barangay officials. Sought for comment, Rama, who described the decision as “unfortunate,” said he will refer the decision to the City Legal Office for review.

“I always would feel because I’m a public official. Having to do something and facing penalty, it’s not easy to receive as a news. That is his, a matter he will have to face,” Rama said.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) approved Resolution NO. 10030 last December stating that no elective provincial, city, municipal or barangay officer can be suspended unless there is a prior written approval from the Comelec starting January 10.

Because of this, City Legal Officer Jerone Castillo said he will endorse the decision to the Comelec regional office to ask for an exemption on the ban on suspension so that the mayor’s office can implement the order against Buendia and the other barangay officials.