FIVE mayors from northern Luzon may face administrative charges before the Office of the Ombudsman over their absence during the onslaught of Typhoon Ompong (Mangkhut) in September 2018.
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said Tuesday, January 22, that the five mayors, whom he refused to identify yet, gave “inadequate and unjustified” explanation on why they were not on their posts while their areas were being battered by Typhoon Ompong.
He said the five mayors “whose acts probably violated existing laws, rules, and regulations,” may face administrative sanctions from the Office of the Ombudsman.
“Despite having knowledge of the impending typhoon and the DILG advisory, said mayors were not in their post during the typhoon. Such act on their part may be considered dereliction of duty, negligence, or other administrative offense. We have referred their case to the Office of the Ombudsman,” Malaya said.
A total of 16 mayors, from Cagayan Valley and Cordillera Administrative Region, were earlier summoned by the DILG to explain why they were "missing in action" when Typhoon Ompong battered the Philippines.
A DILG validation team was created thereafter to determine the merits and reasonableness of the excuses provided by subject local chief executives, including the parameters in determining the same.
Malaya said among the excuses given by some mayors were: attending a training workshop in Baguio, League of Municipalities meeting in Davao, National Economic Development Authority and Department of Agriculture activities in Manila, or even a meeting in Malacañang.
Malaya said Malacañang merely invited the mayors to a meeting but it was not an order or directive and they always have a choice and among that was not to leave their constituents due to the typhoon.
“They should have prioritized the welfare of their constituents. That’s the reason why we cannot accept such an explanation,” he said.
Malaya said six other mayors will receive a written admonition from DILG Secretary Eduardo Año for disregarding the DILG directive prior to the onslaught of Typhoon Ompong.
The DILG order required the local government officials to be physically present in their areas during calamities in order to personally supervise or manage the evacuation, rescue and relief operations of their constituents especially on September 14, 15, and 16, 2018.
“Secretary Año’s directive was very clear. The physical presence of the mayor in his area of responsibility is crucial; his absence adversely affects the operation of the LGU and it is their constituents who suffer,” he said.
“The DILG wishes to remind all local chief executives and all other local elective officials that they are considered 'on-call' any time of the day. That is the essence of public service. This is the reason why they do not have fixed working hours because doing so would limit their service to the public to the prejudice of their constituents,” he added.
Malaya said the DILG national office has referred to concerned DILG regional offices the explanation of four other mayors that needed revalidation.
He said whether the absence of a local officials is for personal or official reasons, their duty as local chief executives must be of first priority especially during calamities unless they can prove that it is legally and physically impossible to perform their duty during that time.
He said these four mayors may also be found liable.
Meantime, Malaya said only one among the 16 mayors was able to give a valid explanation on the matter.
He said based on the explanation of the mayor, instructions were given to the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officers before he left for his hearing at the Sandiganbayan.
Malaya said the mayor arrived in his town on the day of the onslaught and immediately convened the MDRRMC where he was in direct command, supervision, and control.
“While the mayor had to attend a Sandiganbayan court hearing in Quezon City on September 13, 2018, an equally urgent matter, he nevertheless managed to return immediately to his area of responsibility,” said Malaya. (SunStar Philippines)