Desierto suspends Silay mayor

BACOLOD CITY — Ombudsman Aniano Desierto suspended Silay City Mayor Edwin Velez for six months without pay after finding him administratively liable for abuse of authority.

The suspension stemmed from the complaint of Silay councilor Ignacio Salmingo who alleged that Velez, in behalf of the city government, entered into a memorandum of agreement on April 7, 1998 with the Silay City Government Employees Multipurpose Cooperative for the lease of two dump trucks for garbage collection at P3,024.20 per truck per day.

Records showed that Velez’s son Dennis owned the two trucks, as evidenced by registration papers with the Land Transportation Office. — Antonieta Lopez