Rival hits Gomez’s continued absence at city hall

MANILA, Philippines — Mayor Guia Gomez is neglecting her duties as mayor of San Juan and delaying the recall election process with her continued absence at the city hall, former vice mayor Francis Zamora said yesterday.

Zamora, whom Gomez defeated in the 2016 mayoral race, said the mayor did not attend the flag-raising ceremony on Jan. 4, contrary to her statement that she was in the city hall.

“Nobody actually saw her,” he said.

Zamora said he went to the city hall yesterday to pay his real property tax and visit his former colleagues at the city council.

He said he learned that Gomez did not attend an event last Monday wherein she was supposed to receive a P2.4-million award from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) for winning the Seal of Good Governance for 2017.

“The mayor of San Juan did not attend the flag-raising ceremony today, the second for the year, and also did not receive the award given by the DILG,” Zamora said in a statement. 

“She is not just evading the recall election process but is also neglecting her duties and responsibilities as mayor. How long will she continue to be absent?” he asked.

Grace Pardines, the city’s public information officer, said Gomez did not go to city hall because she had a “hoarse voice.”

She did not say when Gomez would show up at the city hall.

Gomez went on leave last Dec. 4, 2017, several days before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) granted a petition for a recall election in San Juan.

An official of the Comelec in San Juan said they are at a loss on how to serve the notice of sufficiency to Gomez as they, too, could not locate her.