Councilman pushes for suspension of barangay chief

CEBU, Philippines - San Roque barangay councilman Lidiore “Boy” Miranda will ask the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas or the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to place barangay captain Rogelio Ruizo under preventive suspension to prevent the latter from harassing his witnesses.

To recall, Miranda has filed multiple complaints before the Ombudsman against Ruizo and other barangay officials after he discovered some questionable activities involving the expenditures of their barangay funds.

The barangay councilman said some of his witnesses reported to him that they were approached by Ruizo and were advised to withdraw their statements that were made part of the cases filed against the barangay officials of San Roque.

“Angay g’yod ni nga i-preventive suspension si Kapitan Ruizo aron dili niya ma-harass ang mga witnesses,” Miranda said.

Aside from Ruizo, the other respondents of the complaints are councilmen Florentino Mauping Jr., Julieta Balcon, Leonardo Pepito, Julius Mendoza, Mario Pamolarco, Alex Sillos and Sanguniang Kabataan (SK) chairman April Jane Salas.

Sillos, however, had already executed an affidavit supporting Miranda’s complaint giving the graft investigators a hint that there is really something illegal involving the barangay funds.

The Ombudsman has already ordered Ruizo and other barangay officials to submit their individual counter-affidavits on the complaint of Miranda. The case has been upgraded already to a full-blown investigation after it was found that there is enough legal basis for the complaint.

Miranda reported many questionable expenditures made by their barangay, including the spending of P14,000 for a project intended for disabled persons last year. However, documents showed that among those who attended are persons who already died several years ago.

Documents also showed that former barangay captain Telesforo Rabaya, who died of cardiac arrest in March 3, 2004, was still able to attend a week-long activity organized by the respondents for disabled persons from July 17 to 23, 2009. — (FREEMAN NEWS)