Ombudsman dismisses NCIP exec

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — The Office of the Ombudsman has dismissed the former director of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) in the Cordilleras for grave misconduct.

In a 16-page ruling, the ombudsman also ordered the cancellation of eligilibility, forfeiture of benefits and perpetual disqualification for reemployment in the government service of Roland Calde, incumbent NCIP director for Central Luzon.

Calde was charged with grave abuse of authority, grave misconduct and ignorance of the law when he was NCIP director of the Cordillera Administrative Region in June 2017.

The complaint for conduct prejudicial to the interest of the government against Calde was dismissed for lack of evidence.

The charges filed against NCIP Itogon community development officer Abilene Andres Cirilo for the same offenses were also dismissed.

Roger Sinot, indigenous peoples representative of this city, filed the complaint against Calde, saying the NCIP official refused to issue a certificate of affirmation to allow him to sit as indigenous peoples mandatory representative (IPMR) of the Baguio City Council. He said Calde also questioned his voter’s registration and identification.

Sinot said Cirilo wrote a protest letter with the consent of Calde questioning his nomination in the city council despite his selection by the indigenous cultural community and indigenous peoples of Baguio.

The ombudsman said Calde ”willfully violated” the guidelines for the IPMR selection when he created a body to review and make recommendations on the selection process.