DILG sends three cases vs local officials for not following ECQ protocols to Ombudsman

July 23, 2020

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año on Thursday said they sent to the Office of the Ombudsman administrative cases against three local officials for non-observance of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) protocols.

Año said these were two cases against the mayor and a councilor of Sto. Tomas, Pangasinan, for holding a birthday celebration and mass gathering which violated social distancing and the prevailing curfew.

Also, the case against the mayor of Buluan, Maguindanao was referred to the Ombudsman after the local executive failed to prohibit mass gatherings in his municipality.

Año  said they have not received any reply to the show cause order issued to the said mayor hence he has been considered to have waived his right to reply.

“The Department (of Interior and Local Government) is thoroughly investigating all the complaints and evidence we received against some local government officials. Based also on their answer to the show cause orders of the DILG, we found out that their negligence,” Año said.

 DILG also sent a letter of admonition and warning to a city mayor and two municipal mayors.

The mayor, who is from Central Luzon, was admonished by DILG for holding a mass gathering when the local executive distributed Social Amelioration Program (SAP) forms to the transport sector. The recipients who still went the next day were immediately dispersed to avoid any violation.

The mayor committed to the DILG that it will adopt corrective measures to avoid similar incidents.

Also, an admonition was also issued to a town mayor from Ilocos Region for unruly behavior towards police officers assigned at a checkpoint and who was alleged to have been intoxicated when it happened.

Año said they are validating the case against a mayor in Cavite and a mayor in Batangas on holding mass gathering.

The Cavite mayor is alleged to have held a flag-raising ceremony during the ECQ while the Batangas mayor is reported to have distributed relief goods at a barangay hall where no social distancing was observed.

Interior and Local Government Undersecretary  and spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said the explanation and corrective actions done by governors of Abra, Antique, Bukidnon, and Camiguin as contained in their replies to the show cause order issued by the DILG were accepted.

“Hence, having found their explanations to be in order, the Department has closed its investigation,” Malaya said.

“The DILG will continue to act on complaints received by the public and we will handle the complaints without fear or favor. In first issuing the show cause order, we ensure that due process is observed and that the side of the local chief executive is heard before we make our conclusions,” he added.  Ella Dionisio/DMS