BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines – Ousted Tuguegarao City mayor Jefferson Soriano has asked the Court of Appeals (CA) to reverse the ruling of the Office of the Ombudsman ordering his ouster.
“We are hoping that the CA would grant our appeal. Let the voice of the people prevail,” Soriano said in his petition.
The Office of the Ombudsman earlier denied Soriano’s motion for reconsideration.
In her order dated Aug. 20, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales also cancelled Soriano’s civil service eligibility and forfeited his retirement benefits.
Soriano’s ouster stemmed from a complaint filed by Councilor Maila Ting-Que after he allowed the operation of a carnival and a flea market during the city fiesta last year without the approval of the city council.
Que is a daughter of former mayor Delfin Ting, whom Soriano defeated in the 2013 elections.
Soriano, a former police deputy director general, appealed for sobriety among his supporters and critics. – Charlie Lagasca, Raymund Catindig