MAYOR Ronald Allan Cesante of Dalaguete, along with Vice Mayor William Lagahit, Municipal Councilor Kevin Belandres and nine other officials, have been slapped with a six-month preventive suspension by the Office of the Ombudsman.
The other officials preventively suspended are Municipal Engineer Expedezitas Lenares, Zoning Officer II Essandre Amprad, Administrative Aide VI Claire Bacala, Local Legislative Staff Officer II Loel Fajardo, Municipal Budget Officer Brenda Vergara, Municipal Government Department Head I Donald Abraham Lara and Administrative Assistant V Cristina Miranda.
The suspension stems from motions for preventive suspension filed by complainants Jose Rene Moran and Braulio Moran on April 23, 2025. They expressed fear that the respondents might tamper with official documents or influence town hall employees amidst charges of grave abuse of authority, grave misconduct, dishonesty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.
The case originated from the unauthorized construction of an “overpriced” warehouse in 2023. The structure was built on a 4,000-square-meter titled lot belonging to the heirs of the late Maria Zambrano family. The construction occurred without the owners’ knowledge or consent, and no deed of conveyance was executed in favor of the Municipality of Dalaguete. There has also been no prior expropriation case involving the lot.
Ombudsman Samuel Martires, finding “sufficient grounds to grant complainants’ motion,” signed the six-page preventive suspension order on June 2, adding that the order is immediately executory.
On May 2, the complainants, upon filing their complaint, told reporters their actions were not politically motivated nor backed by any politicians, contrary to the mayor’s accusations that the case filing occurred during the election period. The complainants added that while the actual estimated cost of the allegedly overpriced warehouse was over P3 million, it reached P8 million.
Before the May 12 midterm election, Cesante and several officials faced multiple complaints from various complainants over alleged violations of anti-corruption laws, filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) 7 and concerned citizens.
Cesante and his fellow respondents allegedly implemented an irregular road repair and concreting project worth P9.65 million along ML Quezon St. in Barangay Poblacion. This was the second complaint filed by the NBI 7 on March 28, after they discovered that a private contractor still collected payments despite the Municipal Government having carried out the project itself.
Cesante expressed frustration over not receiving details of the charge against him, implying “political motivations” ahead of the May elections.
On Oct. 11, 2024, NBI 7 filed complaints before the Ombudsman Visayas against Cesante and other officials for allegedly allowing government equipment and employees to work under a private contractor, which resulted in the death of one person.
More than 1,800 senior citizens in Dalaguete also filed a complaint before the Ombudsman Visayas on Nov. 28, 2024, against Cesante and another municipal official for allegedly excluding them from cash assistance earlier that year.
Cesante sought reelection but lost the mayoral race. His running mate, Vice Mayor Lagahit, however, won.
SunStar Cebu reached out to Cesante for comment, but to no avail.
On Nov. 15, 2015, then-Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales suspended Cesante for nine months for “directly and indirectly having financial and material interest in any transaction that requires the approval of his office.”
In 2017, the Ombudsman again suspended Cesante over the sinking of a fishing boat during the onslaught of a typhoon. He was found guilty of simple misconduct and neglect of duty for being directly responsible for the sinking of the boat owned by complainants. / EHP