ANTIQUE – The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has designated ex-officio members of the Antique Provincial Board as replacements of the three suspended members.
On Monday, September 2, DILG Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. issued an order designating the following officials as acting SP members:
* Mart Giric Galido as ex-officio member representing Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Federation;
* Ricky Lavega as ex-officio member representing Philippine Councilors League (PCL) – Antique Chapter; and
* Julius Pierre Pacificador as ex-officio member representing Liga ng mga Barangay (LnB) – Antique.
“You are hereby designated as acting Sangguniang Panlalawigan members of the Province of Antique. This is pursuant to the endorsement of DILG regional office and the certification of DILG provincial office dated 29 August 2024 that you are indeed the next-in-rank official of the PCL – Antique chapter based on the evaluation of supporting documents submitted,” read part of the order for Lavega’s designation.
It added: “This designation order is being issued effective during the period of the temporary vacancy for the said positions in view of the suspension of the incumbent ex-officio members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan pursuant to a report dated August 8, 2024 from DILG Regional Office 6.
The DILG’s designation of three ex-officio members was based on Administrative Order No. 15 issued by the President authorizing the Secretary of the Interior and Local Government (SILG) or the officer-in-charge (OIC) to fill temporary vacancies in certain local elective offices to prevent hiatus in, and paralysis of local government operations and consistent with Section 507 of the Local Government Code.
Earlier, the Provincial Board sought the intervention of the DILG to fast-track the replacement of the three suspended ex-officio members – Kenneth Dave Gasalao, Julius Cezar Tajanlangit, and Plaridel Sanchez IV – to muster a quorum.
The Provincial Board failed to hold three regular sessions last month following the suspension of the three and five other regular members – Victor Condez, Alfie Jay Niquia, Mayella Mae Plameras-Ladislao, Rony Molina, and Egidio Elio.
To recall, the Office of the Ombudsman ordered the preventive suspension of eight Antique Provincial Board members who face complaints for their alleged failure to pass the province’s supplemental budget amounting to P1.075 billion.
In his five-page order dated Aug. 1, Ombudsman Samuel Martires suspended the board members for six months without pay while the anti-graft office is investigating them over the following specific complaints: oppression, grave misconduct, grave abuse of authority, and gross neglect of duty./PN
