Bangui mayor returns to work

By Leilanie G. Adriano

Staff Reporter

Bangui Mayor Diosdado Garvida

BANGUI, Ilocos Norte—This town’s local chief executive town who was suspended preventively for 30 days has returned to work.

Bangui Mayor Diosdado I. Garvida immediately met with the municipal government’s department heads upon his return to office to monitor the projects and programs he is implementing.

Dr. Garvida said he will now refrain from inspecting quarry sites personally and would instead direct the local police to check on them.

However, he stressed that he would still assert his duties and functions as duly elected mayor of this town but with more cautiously now.

Earlier, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan gave a preventive suspension order to Dr. Garvida so he would not influence the ongoing hearing of the administrative charge filed against him for grave abuse of authority and misconduct.

The Bangui mayor was alleged to have indiscriminately fired a gun while trying to halt what he said was an illegal quarry operation at Brgy. Taguiporo in this town.

The hearing at the provincial board reached an impasse after a principal witness against Dr. Garvida has failed to appear at the hearing. The SP has threated to file indirect contempt charge against Celso Ragudo, the principal witness, if he would not heed the summons addressed to him.

However, in a new development, Atty. Victor Corpuz, lawyer for the complainant Kremlin Alupay, told the board that they will no longer insist on Mr. Ragudo’s oral testimony.

On June 20, Ruby Pedro, an SP administrative aide, attested that she personally went to Manayon, Bangui to personally serve the subpoena for Mr. Ragudo but his daughter said her father went to Eastern Samar to attend the burial of his grandfather.

Mr. Ragudo was expected to be the last witness to testify against Dr. Garvida but for still unknown reasons, the latter did not show up during the third and supposedly final hearing on June 17.

Earlier, Mr. Ragudo filed his affidavit at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan stating that he saw the mayor fire his gun while trying to stop illegal quarry operators in a private lot owned by Mr. Alupay at Brgy. Taguipuro, Bangui.

Atty. Corpuz said they tried to reach Ragudo several times but they failed.

“We can’t reach him anymore. We submit to the wisdom of the SP,” Corpuz said.

By next month, the SP is expected to come up with a decision about Dr. Garvida’s administrative case based on evidence presented.

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