Former dad barred from public office, forfeits all his benefits

Atty. Gerardo Carillo last hogged the limelight when he represented Bohol Provincial Board Member Niño Rey Boniel, who is accused of killing his wife, Bien Unido, Bohol Mayor Gisela Boniel last June.

The former Cebu City councilor found himself in the news again after Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales dismissed him from service after he was found guilty of serious dishonesty for ordering his utility aide to moonlight as a cook in his girlfriend’s restaurant for more than a year in 2013.

But since Carillo is no longer in service, his penalty will be converted to a fine equivalent to his salary for one year.

The ombudsman also barred him from working in government.

Carillo, who stands to lose his retirement benefits, said he filed a motion for reconsideration on the ombudsman’s decision.

The complainant, Michael Abellana, then an administrative aide in Carillo’s office, said he worked at Baryo Grille Restaurant from Monday to Friday after having his biometrics taken at City Hall past 5 a.m. He would return to the office at 11 a.m. to punch out. The arrangement lasted from July 2013 until December 2014.

According to him, he was not paid, but he received an allowance of P50 a day or P250 a week.

The Office of the Ombudsman sacked former Cebu City councilor Gerardo Carillo for ordering his utility aide to moonlight as a cook in his girlfriend’s restaurant for more than a year in 2013.

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales dismissed Carillo from service after he was found guilty of serious dishonesty.

But since Carillo is no longer in service, the ombudsman ordered to convert his penalty to a fine equivalent to his salary for one year. The ombudsman also barred Carillo from working again in government and forfeited all his retirement benefits.

“The local government of Cebu was deceived into paying the complainant his salary for no work done and this defraudation was made possible either because the respondent authorized it or maybe because he was grossly negligent,” read the ombudsman’s decision.

Sought for comment, Carillo said he filed a motion for reconsideration on the ombudsman’s decision.

The complainant, Michael Abellana, then an administrative aide in the office of Carillo, charged the lawyer with grave abuse of authority and grave misconduct. He said he was not paid, but he received an allowance of P50 a day or P250 a week.

Abellana said Carillo assigned him as a cook at Baryo Grille Restaurant, which is owned by the lawyer’s girlfriend Ara Flores. Abellana received P10,401 a month from the City.

Abellana, who worked with Carillo from July 2013 to December 2014, said he worked at the restaurant from Monday to Friday after having his biometrics taken at City Hall past 5 a.m.

Abellana said he would just register his attendance in the biometrics at 5 a.m. and then proceed to Baryo Grille to cook.

He would go back to the office at 11 a.m. only to register his timeout. This arrangement lasted from July 2013 until December 2014. /