La Union mayor faces 90-day suspension
Gualberto was charged by the Ombudsman for violating Sec. 3 (e) of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. This is in relation to the alleged misutilization of the 20 percent Development Fund of San Fernando City for the upgrading o
BAGUIO CITY — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Monday served the order of the Sandiganbayan to suspend the mayor of San Fernando City, La Union for 90 days.
Colisao noted that Vice Mayor Alfredo Pablo will be temporarily taking over the mayorship of the city until the end of Gualberto’s suspension.
DILG-San Fernado City officier Lily Ann Colisao disclosed that the preventive suspension order was forwarded to the office of San Fernando City Mayor Hermenegildo “Dong” Gualberto.
Said case was in connection to the criminal case filed by the anti-graft court against the local chief executive.
Gualberto was charged by the Ombudsman for violating particularly Sec. 3 (e) of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. This is in relation to the alleged misutilization of the 20 percent Development Fund of San Fernando City for the upgrading of the City Plaza.
He was accused by some village chiefs of the said municipality last year for purportedly committing grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty, grave abuse of authority and technical malversation of funds for the use of P66.5 million from the 2017 and 2018 internal development fund of San Fernando for the development of the City Plaza.
On 15 April 2020, Gualberto was slapped by the Ombudsman with six-month suspension. Last September, the 13th Division of the Court of Appeals overturned a ruling by the Ombudsman to dismiss him from service.
Gualberto reassumed his post on 4 November 2020.
Colisao noted that Vice Mayor Alfredo Pablo will be temporarily taking over the mayorship of the city until the end of Gualberto’s suspension.