Labangon chief suspended for 6 months

Labangon Barangay Captain Victor Buendia (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

The barangay captain who caused the 60-day suspension of Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama has been ordered suspended himself.

Labangon Barangay Captain Victor Buendia, a known ally of Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan, was suspended for six months by the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas for evicting and demolishing a vendor’s stall at the Labangon Public Market two years ago.

Ironically, the Ombudsman directed Mayor Rama to implement the decision against Buendia and three other barangay officials.

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 stall “with force and intimidation.”

“Respondents’ acts constitute oppression. For one, complainant’s eviction from his stall had no clear and legal basis,” read the decision penned by graft investigation and prosecution officer I Vivien Leigh Santiago-Lumangtad on Feb. 19.

Market vendor Pepito P. Pepito, who filed the complaint in April last year, brought a copy of the Ombudsman’s ruling yesterday morning to Mayor Rama’s office.

He said he got a copy of the decision only yesterday.

During his press conference yesterday, Rama  described the decision as “unfortunate.” He referred it 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 a matter he will have to face,” Rama said.

City Legal Officer Jerone Castillo, for his part, said he will ask the Commission on Elections (Comelec) 7 for an exemption on the ban on suspension so that the mayor’s office will be able to implement the order.

Based on Comelec Resolution No. 10030,  no elective provincial, city, municipal or barangay officer can be suspended starting Jan. 10 unless there is a prior written approval from the Comelec.

Buendia, who  is running for city councilor, said he anticipated the suspension, which he said was politically motivated.

In a text message, Buendia said the city government filed all sorts of cases against him, from civil to criminal, to get back at him.

“They fabricated the incident. Only the contract was expired and was not renewed so my market administrator implemented the violation, but they manufactured the incident for me to be pin(ned) down,” he stated.

In an interview at the mayor’s office, Pepito denied that he’s being pushed by Team Rama officials to file the case.

“Wala ko gisugo. Ako nang kaugalingon. Dili ni pamulitika amoa, panginabuhian ni nako. Negosyante ko. Kung kinsa ang naa sa posisyon maoy among sundon,” Pepito said.
(I wasn’t told to do this. This is not politicking, this is about my livelihood. I’m a businessman. We will obey whoever is in the position.)