(Eagle News)–Eighty-nine barangay chairpersons have been placed under preventive suspension for six months.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government said based on the Office of the Ombudsman’s order dated September 2, the evidence shows that the guilt of the local government officials, who face charges for serious dishonesty, grave misconduct, abuse of authority and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service in connection with anomalies in the distribution of the Social Amelioration Program funds, was strong, which means their suspension to prevent them from prejudicing the cases they are facing was warranted.
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, whose agency filed the charges, has directed the mayors of the cities and municipalities to implement the suspension of the barangay chairpersons, most of whom were from Region I, the National Capital Region and Region II.
Cordillera Administrative Region and Caraga had the least number of suspended punong barangays, while Region XII had no suspended barangay chairperson.
“Naway magsilbing babala ang suspensiyon na ito sa iba pang mga lokal na opisyales. Ang katiwalian ay walang puwang sa ating pamahalaan lalong-lalo pa ngayong panahon ng pandemya,” Año said.
According to Interior Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya, the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, under orders from the DILG, has also filed criminal cases against 447 individuals for violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, the Bayanihan Act I, and the Code of Conduct of Government Officials and Employees.
Of the 447, he said 211 were elected local and barangay officials, 104 appointed barangay officials and 132 alleged civilian co-conspirators.
The cases are now with city and provincial prosecutors, the DILG said.
