BARANGAY officials of Ermita, Cebu City led by village chief Mark Rizaldy Miral said their one-year suspension will not affect the delivery of basic services.

With Barangay Councilor Efe Rupinta, the daughter of the late barangay captain Felicisimo “Imok” Rupinta, and their Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials, Miral said their programs will continue. Rupinta, the youngest among their council members, will sit as acting village chief.

“To our barangay employees and people of Barangay Ermita, we will support Councilor Efe Rupinta, SK chairwoman Rica Gala Jayme and all SK officials to run our barangay according to existing programs and our platform, in line with the law. I know God is with us no matter how they treated Barangay Ermita, but still we stand and fight against the unfair justice,” Miral said in a Facebook post dated July 19.

The Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas has placed Miral and Barangay Councilors Antonieto Flores, Ryan Jay Rosas, Alio Tamundo, Domingo Ando, Maria Buanghug, and Wilbert Flores under a one-year suspension for their alleged failure to cooperate with authorities during an anti-illegal drug operation in 2016.

It affirmed its decision in January last year that the barangay officials were liable for grave neglect of duty.

The suspension order was served by officials of Department of the Interior and Local Government in Cebu City led by Acting Director Emma Joyevelyn Calvo last Thursday afternoon.

Because the anti-graft office found them administratively liable for gross neglect of duty, the concerned barangay officials will not receive their salary, apart from serving their suspension.

Former Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Central Visayas director Yogi Filemon Ruiz filed the case against the barangay officials, citing that under the Local Government Code of 1991, Rupinta, as barangay captain, and the councilors have the duty to act as law enforcement and peace officers.

At City Hall, opposition Councilor Joel Garganera said the suspension of the village officials was “unfair” since they’ve already served a preventive suspension for six months last year.

“It’s very unfair, but mag-legal remedy pa man ta ana. Right now, the (law) office of Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella is handling the case,” he said. (RTF)