THE Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) has ordered the dismissal of a town mayor, four barangay captains, and a village treasurer in Zamboanga del Norte for alleged grave misconduct.
Ordered dismissed from government service were Sindangan, Zamboanga Del Norte Mayor Rosendo Labadlabad, barangay captains Antonio Mohametano of Brgy. Bago, Zosima Dela Cerna of Brgy.
Calatunan, Joselito Espinas of Brgy. Ramon Magsaysay, and Myzandro Dagondong of Brgy. Mandih, and treasurer Rebecca Lafuente, also of Brgy. Bago.
A ten-page resolution handed down on May 16, 2023 but released to the media only last Dec. 15 also permanently disqualified the affected local government officials from holding any government position and forfeiting their retirement benefits.
The Ombudsman said the complaints against these officials were filed on Jan. 13, 2021 for their alleged issuance of permits to allow cockfights to be conducted within the barangays under the officials’ area but outside of a duly licensed cockpit.
The complainants attested to personally witnessing the staging of the cockfights being part of their fiesta celebrations.
The OMB determined their actions to be in violation of Presidential Decree Number 449, mandating that cockfighting could be allowed only in licensed cockpits, and Republic Act Number 7160 which prohibits government officials from taking interests in any cockpit.
The OMB has forwarded copies of the decision to the Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Ben Abalos for immediate implementation.
Sindangan Mayor Rosendo Labadlabad is a former congressman representing the second district of Zamboanga Del Norte and is the President of the Zamboanga Del Norte League of Municipalities.
His wife, Glona Labadlabad, is the current legislative representative of Zamboanga Del Norte’s second district.