By CESAR JOLITO III
The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered a six-month suspension against Bacolod City’s Barangay 7 Kagawad Bernabe Sibug for grave misconduct, while dismissing administrative charges against Barangay Captain Hercy Sibug for lack of evidence.
The order, dated September 29, 2025, was approved by Gaudioso Melendez, assistant Ombudsman for the Visayas, and has already been served to the respondents by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in Bacolod.
According to the decision, there was substantial evidence to hold Bernabe administratively liable for conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.
He was ordered suspended without pay for six months, with a stern warning that any further transgression could lead to dismissal from public office.
The complaint, filed by Paolo Jarobel in September 2024, alleged that on the night of September 26, 2024, Bernabe threatened him while he was riding his motorcycle near Sibug’s residence.
The complainant claimed that Bernabe struck him with a steel pipe and that Hercy pushed him, causing injuries and a fall from his motorcycle.
Bernabe, however, denied the allegations, stating that the complainant had approached his residence and appeared to reach for a bladed weapon, and that any injuries sustained were a result of grappling, not deliberate assault.
Sufficient evidence
Despite these claims, the Ombudsman found sufficient evidence to uphold administrative liability against Bernabe.
The decision clarified that preventive suspension does not absolve a public officer from accountability, and misconduct tarnishing the integrity of public service remains punishable.
The ruling also stipulates that if the suspension penalty cannot be enforced due to separation from service, it will be converted into a fine equivalent to six months’ salary, payable to the Ombudsman and deductible from benefits or receivables.
Bernabe and his wife, Hercy, were previously suspended for three months in 2024 for simple misconduct.
Copies of the latest decision have been forwarded to the Commission on Audit, DILG, Civil Service Commission, and Commission on Elections for information and guidance.
Attempts to reach Bernabe and Hercy Sibug for comment were unsuccessful./CJ, WDJ