CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—City Mayor Oscar Moreno of Cagayan de Oro City said he would contest the three-month suspension and dismissal order of the Ombudsman regarding the lease of a building without the approval of the City Council.
He said that the suspension order has already expired last June 30 because it was supposed to be implemented before his term expired on June 30, 2013.
The Ombudsman posted the suspension order against Moreno in its website last July 1, 2016, which instructed the Department of Interior and Local Government to transmit and execute the order within 10 days upon receipt.
The DILG regional office said that it had yet to receive the transmittal order, which did not come as of Wednesday.
Moreno is facing several criminal cases with the anti-graft court for alleged illegal disbursement and implementation of various projects without an approved budget and approval of the City Council.
Last March 16, 2016, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales approved and sustained the anti-graft court’s dismissal from service and perpetual disqualification of Moreno to hold public office.
The case stemmed from a complaint about the agreement forged by Moreno and the acting City Treasurer Glenn Banez with the Ajinomoto Phil Inc. where Moreno and Banez lowered the amount of tax due the city government to P300,000 from the original tax assessment of P2.9 million.
The Ombudsman said that the agreement with the Ajinomoto Phil. Inc. was illegal because it was done without the approval of the City Council and found Moreno and Banez guilty of grave misconduct and abuse of authority.
Moreno has filed an appeal with the Court of Appeals in Cagayan de Oro City to reverse the Ombudsman’s decision and has continued to exercise his duties and responsibilities as city mayor pending resolution of the appeal.