Tunga mayor faces 90-day preventive suspension

GOVERNMENT CENTER, Palo, Leyte – Department of Interior and Local Government Regional Director Pedro Noval Jr. confirmed that he had served the 90-day preventive suspension order issued by the Sandiganbayan against Tunga Mayor Amando Aumento. However, the suspension order was not directly served to Aumento as he was not at his office when was to served the suspensio order, Noval said. Aumento at that time was attending a function for local government officials at the Oriental Hotel de Leyte organized by the Department of Energy. “But we still served the suspension order as we posted it in his office, it was deem served even if we did it that way,” the director said. The resolution to issue the suspension order was based on the September 3, 2009 decision of the Office of the Ombudsman recommending the filing of graft charges against the mayor and the accountant, as it found probable cause for the violation of RA 3019 otherwise known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. The Ombudsman said that no public bidding was done in the procurement of the equipment and that the private contractor was paid the full amount of P1 million as disclosed on the disbursement voucher issued in August 9, 2005. The mayor and the LGU’s municipal accountant were both meted the same sanction in connection with the alleged conspiracy in the procurement of a land tractor amounting to P1 million without undergoing bidding in August 2005. Former vice mayor Isabel Nierras filed the complaint in 2005. Vice Mayor Jose Uribe was sworn-in into office by Noval as mayor of Tunga until such time that the suspension against Aumento is over. Noval added that the preventive suspension is final and executory and cannot be appealable in court. Media practitioners who were attending the seminar at Oriental Hotel were not able to get the reaction of Aumento as he left the venue immediately. Meanwhile, Palo Mayor and president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines – Leyte chapter Remedios “Matin” Petilla ,when asked to comment to the case of Aumento ,said that she was assured by the suspended mayor that he will face the charges and the suspension order served against him. “We had talked about it and he said that he will abide what the court had ordered,” said Petilla.