BACOLOD City – A former head of the city’s Office of the Building Official (OBO) has been issued a show cause order by the City Mayor’s Office (CMO) over complaints on the approval of an occupancy permit and fees for its processing.
The order, signed by Mayor Greg Gasataya and dated July 29, 2025, directs the official to submit a written explanation within 72 hours upon receipt, detailing why no administrative or disciplinary action should be taken.
According to City Legal Officer Atty. Karol Joseph Chiu, the CMO issued the show cause order after receiving a formal complaint.
The complaint stated that on June 30, 2025, a job order (JO) employee was ordered to approve and clear the business permit application of a commercial space rental establishment in Barangay Mansilingan, despite the absence of a Certificate of Occupancy, which is a mandatory requirement.
An incident report also stated that the application did not undergo the standard processing protocol. It allegedly lacked logbook entry and proper endorsement from the designated receiving officer who typically refers applications for inspection.
Furthermore, on June 28, 2025, P11,000 was allegedly demanded from a personnel of the establishment as a condition for releasing the occupancy permit.
Chiu said if proven, these alleged acts may constitute grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, punishable under the 2017 Rules on Administrative Cases in the Civil Service (RRACS).
It may also constitute a violation of Section 13 of Republic Act 11032, or the Anti-Fixing provision of the Ease of Doing Business Law, Chu added.
Panay News attempted to reach the former OBO head for comment, but he could not be contacted as of press time./PN
