The Office of the Ombudsman has suspended the mayor and 14 other officials of Amlan town in Negros Oriental for grave misconduct relative to the alleged repeated granting of bonuses under the government’s Program of Awards and Incentives for Service Excellence (PRAISE).
The decision stemmed from the local government unit’s (LGU) release of bonuses in years 2019, 2021, and 2022 for the measure, amounting to millions of pesos, despite the Commission on Audit’s notices of disallowance.
Amlan Mayor Manuel Jose Sycip, one of the respondents, told the Philippine News Agency July 25 that they received a copy of the Ombudsman order earlier and filed a motion for reconsideration Thursday.
“Even though the order was not officially served yet, in the absence of an implementing agency, we submitted our motion for reconsideration as is the process,” he said.
Sycip declined to elaborate on his and the other officials’ response but said he believes this is a “political maneuver” by some detractors.
He noted that the suspension order was dated and signed Oct. 28, 2024, but it took months before they received a copy.
The mayor pointed out that the giving of PRAISE bonuses is allowed, considering that it is a government program that gives monetary or non-monetary awards to deserving employees.
Aside from Sycip, the other respondents are Allan Marie Tan, municipal vice mayor; Marie Jun Maturan, municipal accountant; Dionaldo Sienes, Sangguniang Bayan (SB) member; Adelyn Racal, secretary to the SB; Laline Songcayauon, acting Municipal Planning and Development officer; Job Tagle, administrative officer III;
Lara Flynn Mercado, Human Resources Management officer; SB members Anna Jay Mariot, Macarlo Tan, Maricru Hina-ut, Edwin Omoso, Glendon Nochefranca, and Adelle Abalos, Sangguniang Kabataan Federation president and ex-oficio SB member.
All of the respondents, except for Abalos, were ordered suspended for one year without pay for “grave misconduct” and were warned that a repeat of the same or similar offense “will be dealt with severely”.
The complaint against Abalos was dismissed since she has separated from government service.
Meanwhile, the Department of the Interior and Local Government in Central Visayas and Negros Island Region have yet to receive a copy of the Ombudsman’s order.
DILG-Negros Oriental provincial director Farah Gentuya told the PNA that it was not immediately determined which agency or office is mandated to officially serve the suspension order.
Gentuya said the anti-graft body’s decision did not stipulate the implementing office or agency and declined to comment in the absence of an official communication.
Regarding a vacuum in the offices of those suspended, Gentuya said the rule of succession applies.
This means that the elected officials not covered by the suspension will take the place of the mayor, vice mayor, and the councilors in an acting capacity.
As for a quorum at the Sangguniang Bayan, Gentuya said the NIR-legal office advised it “to adjust the quorum”, based on the number of officials remaining. ||
