Caloocan mayor, 3 others suspended

MANILA, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman ordered Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo yesterday to immediately implement a six-month preventive suspension order on Caloocan Mayor Enrico Echiverri and three other city officials.

The charges against Echiverri and city treasurer Evelina Garma, city budget officer Jesusa Garcia, and city accountant Edna Centeno stemmed from a graft complaint filed by Caloocan Vice Mayor Edgar Erice over the alleged non-remittance of more than P38 million in employees’ contributions to the Government Service Insurance System from July 1997 to December 2002 and from January 2007 to December 2010.

Erice said the same amount had already been deducted from the salaries of city government employees. He alleged that the city government’s total obligations as of Dec. 31, 2010 amounted to P343,814,739.85, representing principal and interest for the unpaid compulsory premiums.