OLONGAPO CITY — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Tuesday was stopped from serving the notice of suspension order on City Mayor Rolen Paulino and 15 other local officials here.
This developed as Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 83 presiding judge Ralph Lee ordered a status quo and asked both petitioners and respondents to submit their respective memorandum within 15 days in support of their respective argument.
The Ombudsman earlier ordered the DILG to serve the six-month suspension to the 16 Olongapo officials over an alleged irregularity in the awarding of a 25-year lease contract to SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SMPHI).
The RTC judge said after the time given, it will decide on whether or not to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO), with or without the memorandum.
Paulino, along with Vice Mayor Aquilino Cortez, Jr.; Councilors Noel Atienza, Linus Bacay, Benjamin Cajudo II, Edna Elane, Eduardo Guerrero, Alreuela Bundang-Ortiz; former councilor Ellen Dabu; Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) president Randy Sionzon; Indigenous Peoples (IP) representative Egmedio Gonzales Jr., as well as city administrator Mamerto Malabute; city planning chief Tony-Kar Balde; city accountant Cristiflor Buduhan; city legal head Ana Florentino Sison; and city budget chief Joy Fernandez Cahilig, have petitioned the court for the issuance of a TRO to prevent the DILG from serving the notice of suspension.
The court also ordered both parties to refrain from undertaking any action during the period that will render the issue before the court moot and academic.
Paulino has earlier said that the Ombudsman’s decision to suspend them for six months over a simple misconduct was unfair.
“While we respect the rule of law, we will not step down until our appeal has been decided by the CA,” the two-termer mayor said.
In relation to the city government’s lease of land to SMPHI, Paulino claimed the heavy punishment over a minor procedural lapse was unjust.
“Such offense normally merits a penalty of a mere reprimand to one month suspension at the most,” the mayor said. “Why impose six months suspension on us?” he asked.
Paulino pointed out that all the original charges filed against them have been dismissed by the Ombudsman.
He appealed to the authorities to respect their decision as they want to wait for the CA’s decision on their appeal.
“We believe the decision to suspend us for six months was unfair but if the CA says otherwise, then we will follow, but not until the court rules on the TRO,” he said.
The supporters of the mayor gathered in front of the city hall on Monday after word spread that the DILG would serve the notice of suspension.
Others even placed three coffins in front of the city hall, which Paulino’s followers said symbolized the death of democracy in Olongapo.(Mahatma Datu/PNA)
