BORACAY — The move of the Office of the Ombudsman to suspend Malay, Aklan town Mayor Ciceron Cawaling for neglect of duty that led to Boracay’s environmental woes shows no one is above the law, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año said Thursday.
In an interview, Año said he respects the decision of the Ombudsman as an independent quasi-judicial body, adding that his agency will serve the preventive suspension against the embattled mayor.
Año said DILG’s campaign to intensively rehabilitate Boracay, which include the enforcement of accountability among public officials, was a “test of our political will”.
“(It was a test) to enforce national, local laws and ordinances. To show that there is no sacred cow, no one is above the law, and that violation of the law is non-negotiable,” Año said.
Cawaling’s suspension is effective Thursday, a day before Boracay reopens its doors to tourists.
The DILG earlier lodged criminal and administrative cases against Cawaling and 16 other officials of Aklan for supposed neglect of duty that triggered environmental degradation in the world-renowned island.
With Cawaling’s suspension, Vice Mayor Abram Sualog will serve as acting mayor of the town.
Año said the Boracay Inter-agency Task Force will help the local government unit in its drive to implement environmental ordinances that will boost sustainable tourism in the island. (Rom Dulfo/PNA)
