DILG files raps vs 10 mayors
Credit to Author: Dempsey Reyes| Date: Sun, 05 Jan 2020 17:06:28 +0000
Ten mayors were slapped with administrative charges before the Office of the Ombudsman for failing to comply with the directive of President Rodrigo Duterte to clear roads of illegal obstructions, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año said on Sunday.
The 10 mayors charged with gross neglect of duty and grave misconduct were from Baco, Oriental Mindoro; Pili, Camarines Sur; Ginatilan, Cebu; Pagsanghan, Samar; Aurora and Lapuyan, Zamboanga del Sur; Sagay and Guinsiliban, Camiguin; Manticao, Misamis Oriental; and Caraga, Davao Oriental.
Año warned that more local government officials would be charged.
“This is just the first batch of cases to be filed and we will file the succeeding batches as soon as our lawyers have finished reviewing the validation reports and the corresponding answers by the mayors,” he said in a statement.
“These mayors failed to perform their duty to clear their roads of obstructions, they did not develop or implement any displacement program or plan, they do not have any long-term rehabilitation and sustainability plan in place, and they failed to set up a feedback or grievance mechanism for their constituents; hence, we are compelled to seek their suspension from office,” Año added.
He also called on the Office of the Ombudsman to “immediately act on these cases.”
The Interior secretary said the government “is serious in returning all roads for the enjoyment and utilization of the public.”
In his State of the Nation Address last year, Duterte ordered the DILG to lead road-clearing operations and suspend mayors who will not comply with the directive.
This prompted the DILG to release a memorandum circular directing all mayors “to use all their powers under the law to reclaim public roads being used for private ends.”
“We weren’t joking when we said we will file charges. We took very seriously President Duterte’s order for the DILG to lead the road clearing efforts and file cases to non-compliant LGUs (local government units), if need be,” Año sid.
Jonathan Malaya, DILG spokesman and undersecretary, said the department would issue a directive mandating the mayors to clear roads in 75 days, noting that some obstructions “have returned and the LGUs have done nothing to stop their return especially during the holidays.”