A Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) officer assigned in Mauban, Quezon on Thursday reportedly castigated the barangay chairmen and other village officers who filed graft and administrative cases against her before the Office of the Ombudsman.
During the Pangbayang Liga ng mga Barangay meeting yesterday attended by 40 barangay heads, as Municipal Local Government Operation Officer (MLGOO) Reyza Enriquez-Lagar challenged the complainants to do all their best to remove her from the post as she alleged that Mauban Mayor Erwin Pastrana has already talked to DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr., during the latter’s visit in Lucena City last month.
Lagar also sent chat messages to the barangay heads and their officers telling them that “she was assigned in Mauban, Quezon by President Bongbong Marcos to supervise the barangays.”
Prior to the filing of graft charges, Abalos instructed DILG Undersecretary for Local Government, Marlo Iringan to investigate the letter request of about 20 barangay chairmen and officials of Mauban, Quezon for the removal of Lagar from their municipality for alleged abuses.
Barangay chairmen Lani Maroto, Dante Almacen and Danilo Pastrana have recently filed graft charges against Lagar for collecting huge fees and issuing fake or unauthorized receipts in behalf of hotels and venues where she made a series of compulsory seminars.
The complainants also cited that Lagar allowed the barangay expenditures for her seminars while preventing them to use its approved budget pending her review. Prior review and approval of DILG-MLGOO of the barangay annual budget are not required by law, said the complainants.
Prior to the filing of graft charges, Abalos instructed DILG Undersecretary for Local Government Marlo Iringan to investigate the letter request of about 20 barangay chairmen and officials of Mauban, Quezon for the removal of Lagar from their municipality for alleged abuses.
Iringan, on the other hand, told the DAILY TRIBUNE that he is awaiting the investigation report of DILG-Region 4-A where he would base his recommendation to Abalos.
Meanwhile, the barangay chieftains said that Lagar was personally hand-picked by Mayor Pastrana to harass those barangay officials who do not align with his administration.