Dismissal order against Capiz governor in limbo

ILOILO CITY — The Ombudsman’s dismissal order against Capiz Governor Victor Tanco Sr., has yet to be carried out. The Office of the Ombudsman last October 19 ordered Tanco and his son Vladimir, a senior security officer of the Capiz provincial government dismissed in an extortion case against contractor Leodegario Labao, Jr. in 2011.

Labao claimed that Governor Tanco sent his son to collect 3 million from him in exchange for the release of a nearly P33-million payment for a district hospital project.

The contractor also said Vladimir threatened him that his (Labao’s) private firm would be blacklisted from joining any bidding conducted by the Capiz provincial government project if the 3 million the Tancos were demanding from him is not released.

The elder Tanco was on his second term as Capiz governor when the alleged extortion happened. He was reelected in the May 2013 elections.

Meanwhile, Atty. Anthony Nuyda, Western Visayas Regional Director of the Department of the Interior and Local Government in Western Visayas (DILG-6), said the DILG-Central Office’s Legal Division in Manila is still in the process of clarifying whether or not Tanco is covered by the Aguinaldo doctrine.

Based on the Aguinaldo doctrine, an elected official cannot be removed for misconduct if the incident occurred during a previous term and the same official has already been re-elected.

“Our legal division is clarifying the matter with the Ombudsman,”reiterated Nuyda.

Meanwhile, DILG-6 is expected to implement the dismissal order against the Governor’s son, Vladimir this week.