Negros governor suspended

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has enforced a 90-day suspension order issued against Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo in connection with the cases he is facing before the Sandiganbayan.

Rene Burdeos, DILG-Central Visayas director, was accompanied by Dennis Quiñones, DILG provincial head, and Senior Superintendent Edwin Portento, Negros Oriental  police chief, when he served the suspension order on Wednesday.

Negros Oriental Vice Gov. Edward Mark Macias assumed his post as acting governor on the same day.

An incumbent official must be placed under preventive suspension when he is charged with “any offense involving fraud upon government or public funds or property,”a resolution of the Sandiganbayan Third Division dated Sept. 22 suspending Degamo stated.

Degamo, former provincial treasurer Danilo Mendez and former accountant Teodorico Reyes are each facing graft and 11 counts of malversation of public funds through falsification of public documents.

The cases stemmed from the  award of 11 infrastructure contracts totaling P143.2 million despite a notice from the budget department that it recalled the Special Allotment Release Order after the provincial government failed to comply with the requirements and guidelines.

The projects are intended for areas hit by Typhoon Sendong in December 2011 and a magnitude 6.9  earthquake in February 2012.