BY GEROME DALIPE IV
ILOILO City – San Isidro barangay captain Ronela Juaneza has asked Mayor Jerry Treñas to review his executive order placing her under a 60-day preventive suspension over alleged irregular release of public funds.
Assisted by her lawyer Karen Edaniel, Juaneza filed a motion for reconsideration asking Treñas to reconsider his order approving the City Council’s recommendation suspending her while the investigation against her is ongoing.
“It is imperative that the respondent’s act or omission does not constitute grave misconduct as such her preventive suspension be respectfully reduced from 60 days,” read Juaneza’s motion.
Mayor Treñas has approved the recommendation of the City Council to preventively suspend Juaneza while the Blue Ribbon Committee is investigating her for alleged three counts of violation of Republic Act 9184 (Government Procurement Reform Act), which constitutes misconduct in office and abuse of authority.
On Aug. 28, the Committee started its preliminary conference on the allegations that Juaneza illegally released public funds amounting to P818,085.04.
The complainants alleged that Juaneza violated the Government Procurement Reform Act for allowing the disbursement of public funds on various dates from December 2023 to January 2024 without observing public competitive bidding.
These include purchases of office supplies worth 94,122.32; well-milled rice cost of P365,488; drugs and medicines for senior citizens for January 2024 worth 235,660.72 and encashed several checks for payment of several barangay hall’s operating expenses.
Replying to the charges, Juaneza denied the charges, saying the allegations in the complaint were malicious, self-serving, baseless, and bereft of any merit.
She claimed the case was a malicious persecution hurled against her by her opponent last election. Juaneza said her opponents retaliated after she filed a graft complaint against her predecessor and his treasurer over alleged unliquidated barangay funds amounting to P1.8 million.
The village chief maintained that all their purchases and disbursement or release of barangay funds underwent the proper procedure, tackled during barangay meetings, and proceeded according to protocol. She sought the dismissal of the complaint for lack of merit.
In her motion, Juaneza argued the complaint ought to be dismissed since the elements of the offense she allegedly committed were not established to warrant her preventive suspension for 60 days.
Of the eight supposed violations filed by the complainants against her, Juaneza noted that only three allegations remained, which all boiled down to supposed violations of the bidding process.
“This only shows that the complaint anchored on the wrong foot and that the respondent did not commit any irregularities and anomalies since all the money of the barangay was duly accounted,” said Juaneza in her pleading.
Likewise, Juaneza insisted the allegations of irregularities were not grave and that her alleged guilt was not strong enough to warrant her preventive suspension for 60 days.
She attached to her motion the letter addressed to the Development Bank of the Philippines for encashment of checks, copies of check payment of the medicines, and receipts issued by the supplier proving they received the payment.
“These documents are proof that the punong barangay observed proper protocol as to the release of the funds and everything was transparent since the amount released was paid in accordance to its purpose,” said Juaneza.
Likewise, Juaneza theorized the complaint was a mere tactic employed by the complainants to divert the investigation of the state auditors on the unliquidated cash advances incurred by her predecessor.
“This diversionary tactic employs to impugn the culpability and accountability of the barangay’s bids and awards committee of Barangay San Isidro,” said Juaneza.
She lamented that she was only merely framed up and was made to suffer the consequence of being a public servant.
“While the respondent was made to suffer the fault she never committed and was perpetrated by her nemesis, the complainants must not let go unpunished for their act is violative of laws, policies, and rules of government service,” read Juaneza’s motion./PN
