Tuguegarao mayor fights dismissal order

By Raymund Catindig and Charlie Lagasca 

TUGUEGARAO CITY – Mayor Jefferson Soriano vowed before thousands of supporters here Thursday to exhaust all legal means to overturn the order of the Office of the Ombudsman dismissing him for alleged abuse of authority.

“We will file a motion for reconsideration once we formally receive the order from the ombudsman,” he said. 

“I will continue to discharge my duties as your duly elected mayor until the order becomes final and executory,” he told placard-bearing supporters during an indignation and prayer rally at the St. Peter’s Cathedral grounds here.

Civic leaders here deplored the ombudsman’s order, saying it was “too harsh” and “arbitrary.” 

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales ordered the dismissal of Soriano and city administrator Ronald Brilliantes in a resolution dated Aug. 20.

Councilor Maila Ting-Que filed a complaint against Soriano for abuse of authority and grave misconduct over the operation of a flea market and carnival during the city’s fiesta from August to September last year without authority of the city council.

Que is the daughter of former mayor Delfin Ting, whom Soriano defeated in the 2013 elections.

“Only because of a flea market, they would unseat a person voted popularly by the people,” civic leader Ronald Guzman said.

He added that putting up a flea market during Tuguegarao festivities is a tradition even during the incumbency of the Tings. 

Soriano, a former police official, had just reassumed his post in May following a 90-day preventive suspension by the Sandiganbayan for his alleged involvement in the P34-million helicopter scam. 

Soriano, who also served as police director for Cagayan Valley, was among those implicated in the helicopter controversy, along with former Philippine National Police chief Jesus Verzosa.

In her order, Ombudsman Carpio-Morales cancelled Soriano’s civil service eligibility, forfeited his retirement benefits and disqualified him perpetually from holding public office.

Aside from Soriano, the ombudsman imposed the same penalty on city administrator Ronald Brillantes for allegedly acting “for and in behalf” of the mayor.

Soriano earlier said he was willing to step down once the Department of the Interior and Local Government serves the suspension order.

Que said Soriano violated the law when he allowed a private individual to operate a carnival and a bargain sale during the city’s fiesta last year without the permission of the city council.

She said that on July 18, 2013, Soriano wrote the city council asking for authority for the conduct of a bargain sale and closure of portions of Gomez, Del Rosario and Gonzaga streets.

But Soriano, Que said, had already allowed the conduct of such an activity even before he asked the city council’s permission.

Records showed that on July 11 of the same year, Soriano issued a special permit to a certain Vicky Medina allowing her to hold the sale.

The permit was issued through a memorandum signed by Brillantes.

Que said both officials ordered the closure of the streets for the construction of the stalls even before the council could issue a permit.

The ombudsman found sufficient evidence to hold Soriano and Brillantes liable for grave misconduct.

“The local chief executive is merely an executor, enforcer and implementer of the will of the legislature,” said graft investigators Johanna Young and Bayani Jacinto in the ruling.

The ombudsman said Soriano had no “plenary authority to cause the closure of local roads.”

Copies of the ombudsman’s decision were submitted to the Civil Service Commission, the Commission on Elections, and the Government Service Insurance System. Deputy Ombudsman for Luzon Gerard Mosquera advised the concerned government agencies to comply with the order.