ORION, Bataan — Supporters of Mayor Antonio Raymundo here continued to barricade the municipal hall on the fifth day Thursday as he waited for the decision of the Court of Appeals (CA) on his motion for temporary restraining order (TRO) and injunction regarding his suspension by the Ombudsman for nine months.
“Sinusuportahan namin si mayor kaya nandito kami (we are supporting the mayor so we are here),” Lina Enriquez, one of the residents here, said.
The middle-aged woman was one of those on standby since last Friday in one of the tents staged inside the plaza fronting the town hall.
Enriquez said they came to the municipal hall in the morning and left in the afternoon. “Hindi namin alam kung hanggang kailan kami nandito (We do not know until when we will stay here),” she said.
Raymundo said he would exhaust all legal remedies like filing a motion for TRO and Injunction with the Appellate Court that was raffled off last January 4.
“Naghihintay ako ng sasabihin ng CA at igagalang ko kung ano ang desisyon (I am waiting for what the CA will say and I will respect the decision),” the mayor said.
He said meanwhile, the municipal government continues with its regular official functions.
“Employees are performing business transactions smoothly,“ Raymundo who continued to hold office at the municipal hall, said.
The Ombudsman has suspended the Orion mayor for nine months in an order signed by Ombudsman Conchita Morales in September 2017 based on a complaint filed by municipal budget officer Carmelita Waje.
Raymundo said he removed the budget officer from her post due to alleged malversation. Waje, in turn, charged the mayor for “conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, grave abuse of authority and grave misconduct and gross neglect of duty.”
The Ombudsman found Raymundo guilty and slapped the mayor with a nine-month suspension but dismissed the other cases.
“Nagtataka ako kung bakit ganoon ka-harsh ang ginawang penalty ng Ombudsman sa akin (I was surprised why the Ombudsman gave me such harsh penalty,” the mayor said.
The provincial office of the Department of Interior and Local Government tried but failed to serve the Ombudsman’s suspension order last Friday at the Orion town hall. (/PNA)
