Ombudsman suspends 2 Capiz barangay execs for 3 months over ‘Yolanda’ fund assistance scam

The Office of the Ombudsman (Photo: Office of the Ombudsman Philippines/ Facebook)

MANILA—The Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas has ordered the suspension for three months of Barangay Kagawad Marilyn Delfin and Marites Borro, both from Ilaya, Pontevedra, Capiz after they were found guilty of simple misconduct.

They were also charged with grave coercion together with Ma. Lyle Cortel, a barangay daycare worker.

Complainant Mildred Vargas claimed that in August 2015, she went to the Pontevedra municipal hall together with her daughter, to claim the PHP30,000 given by the government as Emergency Shelter Assistance (ESA) for the victims of Typhoon “Yolanda”.

Vargas said out of the PHP30,000 ESA, PHP10,000 would be given to the barangay officials intended for the benefit of other residents who could not avail of the cash assistance.

After receiving the money, they were forcibly prevented by the respondents from leaving until they turned over the money.

After a brief scuffle, the PHP9,500 was taken by the respondents with a measly PHP500 returned to Vargas.

Deputy Ombudsman Paul Elmer Clemente said “Borro and Delfin’s act of preventing complainant and her daughter from leaving the premises of the municipal hall against their will was not made under authority of law or in the exercise of a lawful right.”

Clemente added “even granting that complainant agreed to share a portion of the cash assistance she received from the government, the same is not a sufficient justification for respondents to use force or violence against complainant’s daughter and prevent her from leaving the municipal hall until she would give the amount of PHP10,000.00.”

The Deputy Ombudsman ordered the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to implement the suspension order.