By Leilanie G. Adriano
Staff reporter
Bangui, Ilocos Norte—Suspended Bangui Mayor Diosdado Garvida has
returned to his post after a “stay order” was handed down by the Office of the
President.
Bangui Mayor Diosdado Garvida |
In a two-page order signed by
Atty. Michael Aguinaldo, Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs under the
Office of the President, the execution of the Ilocos Norte Sangguniang
Panlalawigan’s decision to suspend Mr. Garvida for six months has been put in
abeyance pending the Bangui mayor’s appeal to the Office of the President.
The order dated March 20 was
received by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan on April 13 or almost five months
since Garvida was suspended in October last year.
Early in the morning of April
15, Mr. Garvida formally reported back to work showing the stay order from Malacañang
to all concerned.
“The stay order does not mean
Mayor Garvida was already acquitted or his case was dismissed. It means the
case is pending while the Office of the President reviews his appeal to
determine if the decision may be reversed or affirmed,” Atty. Jayson Ferera,
provincial legal officer of Ilocos Norte.
Should the mayor be found not
guilty of the administrative case filed against him, he will be entitled to his
monthly salary while serving his suspension by the Ilocos Norte board. But if
he is found liable, Mr. Ferera said he will continue to serve his remaining
one-month suspension.
Last February, it may be
recalled that Mr. Garvida was barred by police authorities from entering his
office due to lack of an official order stating that he can now be allowed to resume
his functions as mayor of Bangui town.
Since November 14, 2014, the
Bangui mayor’s office has been padlocked to prevent the mayor from entering the
office.
Mr. Garvida was suspended in for
an administrative complaint filed against him by a Bangui resident for gun
toting and indiscriminate firing incident at the provincial board.
Members of the Sangguniang
Panlalawigan later found him guilty of the charge and was ordered suspended for
six months.
Mr. Garvida however made an
appeal to the Office of the President regarding his suspension. The said
office has since handed down a stay order while they study the case against the
Bangui mayor.
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