Daanbantayan mayor, vice mayor charged by 2 department heads

CEBU, Philippines – The committee on complaints and investigation of the Provincial Board is now looking into the administrative complaint filed against Daanbantayan town Mayor Sun Shimura and his mother Vice Mayor Ma. Luisa Loot.

The complaint was filed by Provincial Social Welfare and Development officer Marivic Garces and Bernard Calderon of the General Services Office against the officials for gross negligence and dereliction of duty as provided under Section 60 of the Republic Act No. 7160 of the Local Government Code.

Garces and Calderon personally went to the Office of the Provincial Secretary last Monday afternoon to file the complaint against Shimura and Loot. They were assisted by provincial legal officer Marino Mantiquilla in the filing of the two separate complaints.

It was not in the main agenda of the PB session last Monday but the complaint was included in the “other matters” items.

PB members Joven Mondigo Jr. told The Freeman that the committee will convene next week to determine the rules of procedure governing the case.

The committee consists of PB members Victor Maambong, Peter John Calderon, Julian Daan and Juan Bolo.

In the complaint filed by the social welfare officer, Garces accused the mayor and the vice mayor of not implementing the programs of the provincial government. These include special programs like the Early Child Care and Development program and Sinanduloy program as well as regular programs for children, women, the youth and the elderly.

According to the complaint, Shimura and Loot were reminded about the implementation of the program of the provincial government but did not heed them.

In a report to Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, which was attached to the complaint submitted to the PB, Garces said majority of the barangays have not organized their councils for the protection of children.

In the supplemental feeding program, it was observed that 1,125 sachets of milk were left to spoil at the municipal social welfare development office.

The milk were supposed to be for malnourished children of barangay Tapilon but were not distributed as scheduled because there was no clear listing of beneficiaries.

“There was lack of supervision from the LGU focal person and absence of coordination among the team members in the conduct of the feeding hence, it did not start on time. No formal report was submitted to the Provincial ECCD team regarding the spoilage until it was pulled out by the team,” Garces said in her report.

Since the start of the implementation of Sinanduloy program in June 2008 the town only implemented the program for three months.

It was also observed that programs for the children, women, youth, elderly, disabled and the municipal workers were not organized.

In a separate complaint, Calderon allegedly said that Shimura and Loot returned the province military jeep in April 28 despite the standing memorandum of agreement entered between the town and the province.

Under the MOA, the town will undertake the maintenance of the police military jeep after it was turned over in 2004 during the first term of Garcia.

In a separate interview, Shimura said he was saddened by the filing of the complaints which he believed was supported by Garcia

“It saddened me and my mother. Dili man pud na sila mo-file without the approval of the governor,” Shimura said.

Shimura, an ally of the governor, said he only learned of the complaint after he was called by The Freeman. 

“Kana si Marivic grabe ra gyud na siyang magpahaba sa gobernador,” Shimura said, as he denied that his town was not implementing the Sinanduloy program.

Shimura also said that the province has so many projects in their town it has gotten to the point where their own program and projects cannot be implemented anymore.

Shimura also reasoned out that they turned over the military jeep to the province after the town received a vehicle from the PNP.

Last week, Shimura and his mother went to see Garcia in her office to thresh out matters concerning about the problems of her town.

The meeting was arranged by the vice mayor. – Garry B. Lao/BRP (THE FREEMAN)