By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas ordered the 30-day suspension of six incumbent and former Bacolod City councilors on the grounds of simple neglect.

The three city officials currently in office, City Councilors Em Ang, Wilson Gamboa, Jr., and Sonya Verdeflor, were served suspension orders from the Department ofthe Interior and Local Government (DILG) during yesterday’s regular session of the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP).

The other three named were former City Councilors Archie Baribar, Alex Paglomutan, and Jocelle Batapa-Sigue.

According to a complaint filed in 2015 by former Games and Amusement Board (GAB) Chairman Juan Ramon Guanzon, the six city officials allegedly provided permits for cockfighting activity, locally referred to as “palusok.”

During his tenure as GAB chairman, Guanzon warned about corrupt operators who were granted a permit, but would operate beyond the restraints of the authorization.

He had earlier requested copies of cockfighting permits granted by the Bacolod City government to investigate such actions.

As of press time, none of the officials were available for comment./DGB, WDJ