LEGAZPI CITY—Despite affirmation from the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court involving an Ombudsman order dismissing a municipal mayor from service in 2013, Mayor Billy Ceriola of Malinao, Albay, refuses to leave his post.
Ceriola was ordered dismissed by the Ombudsman on the wake of the graft complaint filed by municipal councilor Irene Fajut concerning the operation of the Malinao Cockpit Arena in 2012 owned by the mayor without any permit to operate.
The Ombudsman resolution clearly ordered Ceriola’s perpetual disqualification to hold office as mayor that also barred him from holding position in any government office or agency, including forfeiture of all benefits due him as public official.
During the 2013 election, Ceriola lost to his vice mayor Alice Morales, sister of then-Makati City engineer Nelson Morales, who was murdered in Barangay Estancia after attending a morning church wedding where he was a sponsor. Morales had aspired to contest the reelection bid of Ceriola.
Department of Interior and Local Government Regional Director Elena Pastor said she had installed Malinao Vice Mayor Shirley Bilo as Ceriola’s replacement. The regional director said the dismissal order in 2013 from the Ombudsman against Ceriola had not been served in 2014, after he lost in his reelection bid in 2013.
Court records showed the Ombudsman’s dismissal order against Ceriola was affirmed by both the CA and the SC. Both bodies also denied the motions for reconsiderations from Ceriola declaring the order final and executory, Assistant DILG Regional Director Arnaldo Escober said.
In the 2016 election, however, Ceriola won in the election against re-electionist Alice Morales.
He continued performing the duty of the mayor discarding the Ombudsman 2013 dismissal order for his perpetual disqualification to hold office as mayor and any position in the government. This prompted the complainant to follow up the case, resulting to the issuance of denials of the motions for reconsideration filed by Ceriola before the CA and the High Court.
Ceriola said he will not vacate his office until after his filed motion for reconsideration with the SC to suspend his dismissal order is resolved, saying the charges against him were clearly politically motivated perpetrated by his political nemesis.
Pastor urged Ceriola to respect the court decision, saying transactions at the Malinao municipal office no longer passes Ceriola who remains holed up in his office.
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