An outgoing town mayor of Sultan Kudarat was charged before the Sandiganbayan in connection with the removal of a municipal employee.
The Office of the Ombudsman has filed against Isulan Mayor Diosdado Pallasigue one count of violation of Section 3(e) and another count for violation of Section 3(f) of Republic Act 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act).
The Ombudsman filed the cases after finding Pallasigue acted with manifest partiality and evident bad faith in refusing to implement lawful orders from competent authorities without justifiable cause.
The Ombudsman recommended that Pallasigue post a bail bond of P30,000 for each count of graft.
The Sandiganbayan Fifth Division has been tapped to handle the cases.
The case stemmed from the 2007 order of Pallasigue to dissolve the Municipal Economic Enterprise Development Office and reassigned its coordinator, Elias Segura Jr., to report to the Municipal Integrated Public Terminal.
Segura complained that the office, which was 1.5 kilometers away from the town hall, had no chairs, tables, office supply, equipment, and personnel.
Apart from this, Segura’s Representation and Transportation Allowance in March 2008 was withheld and he was dropped from the rolls of the municipality.
Segura appealed the reassignment order to the Civil Service Commission (CSC) which ruled in his favor.
However, Pallasigue ignored CSC’s March 2014 resolution that ordered the mayor to reinstate.