Saturday, March 2, 2013

Suspended mayor dares Mar Roxas, DILG

Mayor Feliciano Legazpi, MD.



MALOLOS CITY—Interior and Local Government officials led by Secretary Mar Roxas and Central Luzon Director Florida Dijan were dared by the mayor of Norzagaray in Bulacan to fix problems they caused.

Some of the problems include lack of municipal fund especially for salary of employees in the last two months, funds for operation of the municipal government and continuing tension in town.

The problems stemmed from suspension of Mayor Feliciano Legazpi based on the resolution issued by the Ombudsman last November with regards abused of authority charge filed by the Municipal Budget Officer Yolanda Ervas against the mayor.

“They should come here and fix the problems they caused,” Legazpi said in a telephone interview referring to Roxas and Dijan.

He said that Dijan issued a suspension order for six month and one day against him last December, but he never received a copy.

A copy of the said order was secured by Vice Rogelio Santos who furnished the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) along with copy of his oath of office as acting mayor.

As a result, LBP stopped releasing Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) to the Municipal Government of Norzagaray.

“We cannot withdraw from our funds and our employees have not receive their salary in more than two months, not to mention that we don’t have fund for the delivery of social services,” Legazpi said.

He insisted that order issued by Dijan last December is premature and stressed that the Ombudsman decision allowed him for automatic appeal by filing a motion for reconsideration.

Legazpi also vowed that he will step down from office of the DILG will be able to prove that he is already suspended.

He also said that since the election period officially started last January, there is a pre-existing order not to remove local officials from office.

“They must not turn a deaf ear on us, they cause this problem and the people of Norzagaray are suffering, they should be the ones to fix it,” Legazpi stressed.  Dino Balabo