LAOAG CITY — Representatives of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Region 1 (Ilocos) served a dismissal order against Paoay Mayor Jessie Galano and municipal administrator Bruno Dumlao on Thursday afternoon.
Served by Lawyer Joseph Apolonio, Legal Officer of the DILG Region 1, the dismissal order came from the Office of the Ombudsman after Galano and Dumlao were found guilty of grave abuse of authority, gross neglect of duty, grave misconduct and serious dishonesty over the falsification of travel documents worth more than PHP25,000 in a case filed in 2015.
However, the DILG officers failed to locate both Galano and Dumlao in their offices prompting Apolonio’s group to go to the mayor’s house.
However, the DILG representative was told by the neighbors that the mayor and Dumlao were in Manila.
Apolonio then returned to mayor’s office and posted the dismissal order on the door.
The order of dismissal from the service carries the accessory penalties of perpetual disqualification from holding public office, cancellation of civil service eligibility and bar from taking the civil service examination, said Apolonio in an interview.
Meanwhile, Galano’s camp has filed a motion for reconsideration at the Court of Appeals.
The Philippine News Agency (PNA) previously tried to get the mayor’s reaction on the charges but he preferred to keep silent upon the advice of his lawyer.
Should the Ombudsman’s decision be reversed, Apolonio said there is a probability that the mayor may return to serve.
In 2015, then-Paoay town mayor Dolores Clemente filed administrative charges against then-vice mayor Galano and Sangguniang Bayan member Bruno Dumlao in violation of Republic Act No. 6713 or Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees and Republic Act No. 7160 or The Local Government Code.
By law of succession, Vice Mayor Eileen Guerrero immediately assumed as the new mayor of Paoay town and Senior Sangguniang Bayan member Larry Abundo as the new vice mayor. (Leilanie Adriano/PNA)
