OUTGOING Barili Mayor Teresito Mariñas will face trial before the anti-graft court over the allegedly irregular appointment of his brother in 2007.

The Office of the Ombudsman has indicted Mariñas for violating the prohibition on nepotism for hiring his brother, Aniceto, as the town’s Human Resources Management officer.

The case for violation of Section 59, Chapter 8 Title I Book V of Executive Order 292 (Administrative Code of 1987) will be filed before the Sandiganbayan.

Sun.Star Cebu contacted Mariñas’s office yesterday afternoon to get his reaction, to no avail.

A certain Kim Carmela Veloso filed the complaint against Mariñas, the town’s vice mayor-elect, before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas in October 2010.

Advantage

Veloso alleged that the mayor took advantage of his position in designating his brother as the HRMO, while also giving him control over all the department heads.

Anecito was also said to be a member of the bids and awards committee (BAC) and was given authority to issue travel orders when he only holds the position of administrative assistant II.

“Mr. Anecito, in fact, is actually performing duties and responsibilities way beyond his scope of work by virtue of the memorandum issued by Mayor Mariñas,” said Veloso in her complaint-affidavit.

The memorandum enumerates Anecito’s special assignments as: develop plans and strategies on management and programs and projects; assist in coordinating the work of all local government unit officials; perform the duties of personnel officer and establish; and maintain a sound personnel program, among others.

Veloso also complained that Mayor Mariñas hired a defeated candidate for councilor in the May 10, 2010 elections, when there is a one-year ban on such appointments.

Memorandum

In the decision, the Ombudsman said that records showed that the mayor issued a Memorandum Order dated July 2007 evidencing the appointment of his brother to a position in the local government.

Administrative Code of 1987 states that “all appointments in the national, provincial, city and municipal governments, made in favor of a relative of the appointing or recommending authority, or of the chief of the bureau or office, or of the persons exercising immediate supervision of him, are hereby prohibited.”

The terms “relative” and “members of the family” are defined as those related within the third degree of consanguinity or affinity.”