By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Three barangay captains in Bacolod City are among 89 nationwide who have been suspended for six months by the Office of the Ombudsman following the filing of complaints by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) against the said barangay officials for anomalies and irregularities involving the implementation of the first tranche of the Social Amelioration Program (SAP).

They are identified as Evelyn Ta-asan of Barangay 11, Noli Villarosa of Barangay Tangub and Kim Piramo of Barangay 19 in Bacolod City.

Tezardo Tejada of Himamaylan City’s Barangay To-oy, Romeo Sultan of Toboso town’s Barangay Salamanca and Ruel Sabequil of Barangay Cabungahan, Calatrava in Negros Occidental are also among those suspended.

In an order dated September 2, 2020, the Office of the Ombudsman said that “the evidence on record shows that the guilt of these punong barangays is strong and the charges against them involve serious dishonesty, grave misconduct, abuse of authority, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service which may warrant removal from the service.”

DILG Secretary Eduardo Año directed the respective mayors of these punong barangays “to immediately implement the order of the Office of the Ombudsman upon receipt while the DILG Regional and field officers were directed to ensure the orderly implementation of the said mass suspension.”/DGB, WDJ