THE Office of the Ombudsman has dismissed Noel Taylaran Dotillos, the incumbent vice mayor and former municipal mayor of Borbon in northern Cebu, from service for grave misconduct related to illegal disbursements and unauthorized hiring.
The anti-graft office dismissed Dotillos from service with cancellation of civil service eligibility, perpetual disqualification from holding public office, a bar from taking civil service examinations and forfeiture of retirement benefits. If separation from service makes the dismissal penalty unenforceable, it will convert to a fine equivalent to one year’s salary, payable to the Office of the Ombudsman.
What does this dismissal reveal about local government accountability and spending rules in the Philippines?
The Ombudsman’s July 18, 2025 decision resolved an administrative complaint filed by Emar Bascon Cuico, a resident of Borbon. The ruling centered on two main charges: an illegal grant of a 2019 anniversary bonus and unauthorized hiring. The case underscores how local officials must follow strict procedural requirements when spending public money or hiring personnel.
Illegal anniversary bonus
Dotillos signed off on disbursement of P570,000 to municipal government employees on March 27, 2019. Each employee received P10,000, according to the general payroll and disbursement voucher. Cuico claimed the funds were distributed without the required appropriation ordinance or supplemental appropriation ordinance, violating Sections 305(a) and 321 of Republic Act 7160, the Local Government Code of 1991.
The Ombudsman found that supplemental appropriation ordinances for 2019 were passed only after the disbursement. Dotillos relied on a mere Municipal Council resolution to authorize the spending. The Ombudsman ruled that this was inadequate because an ordinance — not a resolution — is the proper lawmaking act for local fund disbursements. This violated Section 344 of the Local Government Code on local fiscal administration.
Unauthorized hiring of the vice mayor’s wife
The second charge involved the hiring of Corazon Dotillos, the vice mayor’s wife and a former municipal health officer who had reached compulsory retirement age on Oct. 5, 2021. The Ombudsman reviewed the contract of service entered into by then-mayor Dotillos on April 15, 2024.
Although the 2024 annual budget included a line item for “general services (job order),” the Ombudsman found that this provision was too general to cover the specific contract. Dotillos failed to secure prior authorization from the council, before entering into the contract, violating Section 22(e) of the Local Government Code. A subsequent resolution passed on Oct. 7, 2024, did not cure the violation because it merely ratified the action rather than providing the required prior authorization.
Other officials cleared |of wrongdoing
While Dotillos was dismissed, the Ombudsman cleared five other officials involved in the complaint due to lack of substantial evidence. The administrative complaint was dismissed against Noel Gomez Enriquez, Charmaine Marie Ceiano Alpino, Liezel Monilar Brian and Corazon Villareal Dotillos. The complaint against former municipal budget officer Teresita Mangulat Cabarug was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction.
What happens next
Dotillos’ camp has said that they are preparing a motion for reconsideration. This is the first step in the appeals process, where they will ask the Office of the Ombudsman to review and reverse its decision.
The bottom line
The Ombudsman’s ruling against Dotillos is more than a personal sanction — it is a reminder that local governments in the Philippines operate under strict fiscal and administrative guardrails. Spending public funds requires not just good intentions but compliance with appropriation ordinances, while hiring decisions must be backed by a council authorization. / CDF