Ex-mayor gets 4 months for illegal appointment

MANILA, Philippines — A former municipal mayor in Romblon has been sentenced to four months in prison for appointing his relative as his private secretary.

In a 14-page decision promulgated on Feb. 7, the Sandiganbayan found former mayor Lemuel Cipriano of Concepcion town guilty of violating a provision of the Revised Penal Code on illegal appointments.

Aside from imposing a prison term, the anti-graft court also ordered Cipriano to pay a fine of P1,000.

Filed by the Office of the Ombudsman in 2017, the case stemmed from Cipriano’s appointment of Diosdado Atillano as administrative officer and private secretary in August 2013.

The ombudsman said Cipriano issued the appointment despite knowing that Atillano was ineligible to hold public office as he ran and lost in the May 2013 elections.

State prosecutors said Cipriano ignored a provision of Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991, which mandates a one year ban in the appointment of a losing candidate to any government offices, including government-owned or -controlled corporations or their subsidiaries.

The Sandiganbayan said Cipriano acted in bad faith as he admitted that he was aware that Atillano ran and lost in the May 2013 elections.

The anti-graft court said Cipriano’s decision contradicted his testimony that he checks the qualifications of applicants for a posittion in his office before hiring them.

The court said Cipriano’s defense that he “honestly believed that Atillano’s appointment was valid” lacked merit.

Anti-graft investigators said the position given to Atillano was confidential and co-terminus with Cipriano’s term as mayor.

Under the Local Government Code such appointment is illegal.