Abra town mayor suspended

Abra town mayor suspended | Daily Tribune

BAGUIO CITY — Members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Abra recommended the municipal mayor of Pidigan be put under preventive suspension for 60 days.

This comes after the board members passed a resolution to recommend the suspension of Pidigan Mayor Joseph Domino Valera as cases against the said official are ongoing.

Complaints of grave misconduct, conduct unbecoming of a Public Officer, Conduct Prejudicial to the best interest of the Service, and Violation of Codes of Ethical Standard for Public Office were filed by three employees alleging that the mayor and the municipal treasurer, Apollo Palecpec, failed to release their year-end bonuses equivalent to one month’s salary and cash gifts of P5,000.

In their complaint filed in December 2024, Arnulfo Bisares and Melvin Dumlao claimed they did not receive their year-end bonus and cash gifts for the year 2023.

Also, Dumlao, together with Jumel Chong, complained that Valera and Palecpec did not release their mid-year bonus equivalent to one month’s salary and cash gifts for May 2024.

The SP members stressed that in the case of the non-release of the mid-year, year-end bonus, and cash gifts of Chong, Dumlao and Bisares for the year 2023, it suggests that there is a deliberate intent on the part of Valera to withhold the benefits of the complainants, causing injury and damage to them.

The SP summoned Valera and Palecpec on 26 December 2024, but the mayor refused to receive the said summons and members of the provincial board considered Valera’s refusal to heed their summons a sign of disrespect.

During the clarificatory hearing on 10 January 2025, the complainants presented their witnesses — Pidigan Vice Mayor Noel Bisares, Sangguniang Bayan (SB) Members Josephine Dalere and Victor Paculdar, and Sangguniang Kabataan Federation President Lexen Apolinar.

It was also revealed that the three officials did not even receive their benefits.

The SP members then resolved to recommend the preventive suspension against Valera for 60 days in accordance with the requirements of the Local Government Code.

They said that they could not impose suspension on Palecpec because it requires a written complaint filed before the Bureau of Local Government Finance under the Department of Finance, for which there is none.

The resolution was copy-furnished to the Department of the Interior and Local Government Abra and the Land Bank of the Philippines Bangued, Abra branch.