Ombud clears Barili VM

CEBU, Philippines - The Office of the Visayas Ombudsman dismissed the complaint of misconduct and conduct unbecoming of a public official that Barili Mayor Teresito Mariñas filed against Vice Mayor Marlon Garcia.

Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Pelagio Apostol approved the dismissal of the complaint for insufficiency of evidence.

Mariñas alleged that he attended the Sangguniang Bayan session on August 11, 2010 to defend his veto on a resolution realigning the approved supplemental budget which affected the funds for the repair and rehabilitation of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras within the municipal hall.

After explaining, Garcia allegedly confronted Mariñas and in a loud voice and disrespectful manner uttered, “Ah! Palit-palit kag mga camera, wa gani ka kaayo sa mga ayohonon dinhi!”

Garcia also allegedly shouted at the mayor saying, “Mao jud mo diha sa Mayor’s Office. Ug unsay akong buhaton inyong i-interpret nga mokontra sa Mayor.”

Garcia allegedly complained that there were no tables and chairs for councilors, which the mayor denied saying no one requested for it.

Garcia denied the allegations and instead accused Mariñas of entering the session hall uninvited to demand that the municipality should buy the CCTV cameras and his veto over the realigned budget must be upheld.

He argued that the complaint was plain political harassment projecting him as an arrogant public official.

He told the anti-graft office that the SB and the Executive Office of Barili have different opinions in some issues affecting the municipality.

Mariñas submitted an unsigned and un-notarized Joint Affidavit of SB Members Casildita Alquisola and Sheila Pason who both testified under oath that the allegations against the respondent were not true.

Last June, the Ombudsman cleared Garcia and 10 members of the SB of the charges that Mariñas filed against them for slashing his proposed 2012 budget.

The anti-graft office found that based on records, the questioned appropriation ordinance is yet to be approved by the complainant and that the matter must be raised first to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for review. — (FREEMAN)