Pending litigation of criminal case Sandigan suspends Aloguinsan officials

CEBU, Philippines - The Sandiganbayan has ordered a 90-day preventive suspension against Aloguinsan Mayor Cynthia Moreno and seven other municipal officials pending the litigation of a criminal case filed against them.

Felimon Georsua, Jr. accused Moreno, along with municipal engineer Orven Nengasca, civil registrar and Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) chairman Pepito Maguilimotan, budget officer Nonela Villegas, agricultural officer Marilyn Flordeliza, municipal assessor John Lim, utility workers and BAC members Emilia Luz Celis and Getrudes Ababon of violating Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees for the alleged purchase of construction materials worth over P1 million in 2007 without a public bidding.

Sandiganbayan First Division Clerk of Court, lawyer Estela Teresita Rosete, in a reply dated August 22, 2013 to Georsua’s inquiry about the status of the suspension order, said, “In view thereof, the DILG shall now implement the suspension of the accused as ordered in this court’s resolutions dated July 29, 2011 and January 18, 2012, if it has not yet done so.”

Rosete’s reply to Georsua said that since the petition for certiorari filed by the accused before the Supreme Court (SC) had already been resolved with finality, the order of suspension had also attained its finality on March 19, 2013.

She then directed the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to implement the suspension and to submit, within five days from notice, the steps it had taken.

Moreno’s husband, Vice Mayor Augustus Caesar Moreno, however, questioned the order.

“What’s the purpose of suspension? The case is almost over,” he told The Freeman, adding that the case has been submitted for promulgation at the Sandiganbayan.

Vice Mayor Moreno said that the suspension pending litigation is no longer practical since all the evidence feared to be tampered by the accused have already been submitted.

Mayor Moreno and the other accused have also filed a motion for reconsideration before the Supreme Court.

Last year, the Sandiganbayan ordered DILG to hold in abeyance the implementation of the preventive suspension against Mayor Moreno pending a petition before the SC.

Meanwhile, DILG-7 assistant regional director Elias Fernandez told reporters that the regional office has not yet received the official copy of the order. He, however, said that the office will implement the order immediately once it gets a copy.

The case against Mayor Moreno was filed in 2007 when she was mayor of Aloguinsan and her husband, Augustus Caesar, was the vice mayor. In the 2010 elections, the husband and wife tandem ran and won, this time with Augustus Caesar as the mayor and Cynthia as the vice mayor.

In the 2013 elections, both ran and won, this time with Cynthia as the mayor and her husband as the vice mayor. — /QSB (FREEMAN)