Mambaling impasse: Palomo asks Abellana - Turn over Baragay properties

CEBU, Philippines — Acting Mambaling, Cebu City Barangay Captain Anne Marie Vestil Palomo is requesting suspended village chief Gines Abellana to turn over all properties and financial documents of the barangay and abide by the two year-suspension order meted upon him by the City Council for grave abuse of authority.

Palomo issued a memorandum directing Abellana to properly turn over the authority to her and serve his suspension. In a memorandum dated January 21, Palomo also requested Abellana to step down and vacate his office.

Abellana described Palomo’s issuance of the memorandum as a usurpation of authority.

“She must (be) out of her mind by issuing memorandum to the duly elected punong barangay. She is usurping my authority,” Abellana told The Freeman.

Palomo said she was forced to issue a memorandum because of Abellana’s refusal to vacate his post.

“By virtue of the suspension for two years, it is, therefore, your duty to turn over the keys of the office, including all other inventory of the properties and financial documents of the barangay,” read a portion of the memorandum.

A copy of the memo was furnished to the office of Atty. Ian Kenneth Lucero, regional director of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

The City Council’s committee of three suspended Abellana for 24 months after he was found guilty of the administrative complaint for grave abuse of authority filed by four members of the barangay council, including Palomo, for withholding their honoraria from July to December 2018. The other complainants are Edwil Managbanag, Victoriano Laborte, and Neonita Cuestas.

Palomo said she is doing all legal procedures to convince Abellana to step down to avoid public confusion.

“I also believe that in the absence of Atty. Abellana’s authority by his suspension, he now destroys the peace of my assumption to office. He becomes an obstructionist,” she said.

Palomo threatened to take other legal remedies if Abellana continues to ignore his suspension. She also did not discount the possibility of seeking Mayor Tomas Osmeña’s intervention on the matter.

“If still he won’t step down, I will take all legal actions against him. I have not sought the intervention of the mayor yet but that would be possible because he is the supervisor of the city and the barangays,” Palomo said.

DILG-Cebu City officer-in-charge Emma Joyevelyn Calvo has already issued a certificate of incumbency detailing that the council’s decision is final and executory. — FPL (FREEMAN)