Tabuk Vice-Mayor Dao-as accepts suspension due to backfilling of land, turns over seat to Wacnang

Tabuk City, Kalinga - Officiated by personnel of Department of the Interior and Local Government-Kalinga, incumbent Vice-Mayor Bernard Glenn Dao-as turned over his power and duties to Councilor Atty. Zorayda Mia Wacnang, the highest-ranking Sanggunian member in the city this December 28, 2021, in Appas, Tabuk City.

The turn over was conducted following the order of the Office of the Ombudsman for DILG to implement the decision issued by the former office regarding the complaint filed on October 31, 2019, by Jude Clint Dirige Escario, a resident of Lapu-lapu City, Cebu against Dao-as, both in his capacity as then barangay captain of Appas, Tabuk City and as Vice-Mayor of the city.

Case filed against Vice-Mayor Dao-as

Escario filed for ‘Conduct Prejudicial to the Best Interest of the Service and Grave Misconduct’ claiming that the P7.2 million worth of lot which the Vice-Mayor bought from a certain Arthur M. Dirige back in 2004 when Dao-as was then the barangay captain of Appas, Tabuk City.

The complainant claims the lot was backfilled with sand and gravel without necessary clearance from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and Department of Agriculture (DA), illegally converting or changing the use of the land from irrigated agricultural rice land to commercial.

In his Facebook post last August 18, Escario stated that he filed the case to resolve the lot issue, not for any political purposes.

“Wala pong kinalaman si Mayor Darwin sa usapin na ito. Wala po itong halong pulitika... Ito po ay problema namin sa lupa,” reads the complainant’s post.

Dao-as, on the other hand, maintained that he is a ‘Buyer in Good Faith.’

Decision of the Office of the Ombudsman

The decision of the Office of the Ombudsman was released on February 8, 2021, ruling that Dao-as was found ‘administratively liable for Conduct Prejudicial to the Best Interest of the Service and is meted the penalty of suspension from public service for one year without pay, with corresponding accessory penalties, pursuant to Section 10, Rule III, Administrative Order No. 07, as amended by OA No. 17, in relation to Section 25 of Republic Act No. 6770’ while the Grave Misconduct was dismissed for lack of substantial evidence.

The Office of the Vice-Mayor received the order on August 11 but was made effective yesterday, December 27, 2021, resulting in Dao-as temporarily losing his power, therefore passing his duties and responsibilities to Wacnang in accordance with the Local Government Code stating that the highest-ranking sanggunian member shall fill the vice-mayor’s position in such cases.

Wacnang likewise took oath as an Acting-Vice Mayor.

According to the Press Relations Officer of the Vice Mayor’s Office Teddy Gullay, the move of Dao-as is to show respect and follow the order of the Office of the Ombudsman while they wait for the result of the Motion for Reconsideration filed by the vice mayor.

Suspension of Dao-as does not affect his Mayoral candidacy

Gullay explained that the suspension of Dao-as will not affect his Mayoral Candidacy because the administrative case which caused the suspension is due to private transactions not related to a government function.

“Daytoy laeng Administrative nga Conduct Prejudicial to the Best Interest of Service ti nagprosper nga isu ti nagsuspend an da knyana su kayat na nga sau en gapu ta private transaction dayta, han met nga related ti government function…Nu mapan idiay panagtaray as mayor ket haan nga affected, makataray ladta,” Gullay said.

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