Calamity Aid Mess: DILG assures hearing will be over in 90 days

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of the Interior and Local Government has assured to resolve within 90 days the administrative complaint filed against the Cebu City officials over the controversial calamity assistance.

DILG hearing officer Isidro Barrios III made the assurance yesterday as he concluded the four-day hearing formally looking into the complaint. The next hearing is scheduled either in the last week of August or first week of September.

“Of course, it’s my duty to finish the investigation within the 90-day period otherwise ako naman yung ma-sa-sanction,” Barrios said.

Section 2 of rule 6 of Administrative Order No. 23 of Office of the President states that, “no preventive suspension shall be imposed within ninety (90) days immediately prior to any local election. If the preventive suspension has been imposed prior to the 90-day period immediately preceding a local election, it shall be deemed automatically lifted upon the start of aforesaid period.”

Barrios is referring to the administrative complaint filed by lawyer Reymelio Delute against Mayor Michael Rama, Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella, and City Councilors Nestor Archival Sr., Mary Ann de los Santos, David Tumulak, Nendell Hanz Abella, SisinioAndales, Alvin Arcilla, Roberto Cabarrubias, Ma. Nida Cabrera, Gerardo Carillo, Alvin Dizon, Eugenio Gabuya Jr., and Noel Wenceslao.

Delute alleged that the city officials committed “grave misconduct and abuse of authority” in giving P20,000 calamity assistance to 4,200 city officials and employees in 2013. Delute said the city was not directly hit by super typhoon Yolanda and the magnitude 7.2 earthquake.

During the fourth day of the formal investigation, Delute took the witness stand. Lawyer Benjamin Militar conducted the direct examination.

Militar asked Delute why he impleaded Rama in the complaint. Delute said he included the mayor because the latter “fabricated himself as calamity victim.”

Lawyers Jerone Castillo and Rey Gealon, legal counsels of the city officials, objected to the answer of Delute saying that, the complainant has no basis of the allegation. Most of the questions of Militar were objected by the city lawyers.

Barrios said that Delute and Militar, as well as the city officials should prepare their evidence in the next investigation. —/FPL (FREEMAN)