THE Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in Eastern Visayas has yet to receive an official copy of the order on the suspension of Catbalogan City Mayor Stephany Tan and 11 other officials over the "anomalous" purchase of a private land and rental of a public market.

“We still have to receive the said order. However, once DILG Regional Office receives any order from Ombudsman, Sandiganbayan or the Office of the President, we will take immediate action as there is a certain timetable to be observed,” said Myles Colasito, information officer of DILG-Eastern Visayas.

“Assuming DILG will be ordered to implement an order, it will be reviewed first by our legal department at the central office before being signed by the DILG secretary,” Colasito added.

The Office of the Ombudsman, on November 26, “preventively suspended without pay” for six months Tan, Vice Mayor Art Sherwin Gabon, Councilors Coefredo Uy, Jeffrey Uy, Maximo Pescos, Edward Uy, Christine Joy Escober, Beethoven Bermejo, Nanette Jasmin, City Assessor Romero Tuazon, Assistant Assessor Arthur Macabare, and Office of the Assessor employee Rizal Ignacio.

The officials faced complaints of grave abuse of authority, grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty, and violation of code of conduct and ethical standards for public officials and employees.

The first case stemmed from a complaint that the officials allegedly bought a private agricultural land in the amount of P120,225,000 when the property only valued P155,497.84 in 2016.

“The documents presented, which are indicative of strong evidence of guilt against respondents, at this stage, compel this office to grant the preventive suspension prayed for,” the Ombudsman said.

The second case stemmed from a complaint filed by city vendors who said that the officials allowed one private company, Philippine Primark Properties Inc. (PPPI), to lease the market in 2016.

In a report, the vendors said the private company had collected fees and charges from them.

“The various documents submitted by complainant tend to prove that respondents gave PPPI unwarranted benefits when they accepted PPPI’s unsolicited proposal to lease the Catbalogan City Public Market,” said the Ombudsman.