Ben Madilynn
The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the three-month suspension of Barangay 7 chieftain Hercy Sibug, her husband, Kagawad Bernabe Sibug, and the Barangay treasurer, Edmar Base, in Bacolod City for simple misconduct.
The order dated July 16, 2024, was approved by Dante Vargas, Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas.
The order, which was served by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)-Bacolod to the respondents on Monday, September 3, 2024, stated that finding substantial evidence for simple misconduct against Hercy, her husband, Bernabe, and Base meted the penalty of suspension from the government service for three months without pay.
The complaint was filed by Cresenciano Torres, a businessman in Bacolod City, on June 27, 2023.
The complainant claimed that sometime in 2019, Bernabe introduced his wife, respondent Hercy, and responded Base to him.
They obtained a loan from the complainant in the amount of P140,000 to be used as payment of salaries and wages of barangay council and employees, including the barangay tanods and barangay health workers.
Respondents undertook to pay the said amount after a month. After the lapse of one month, the complainant verbally demanded payment from Bernabe, but the latter asked for more time to settle the amount.
On January 15, 2020, respondents came to the complainant’s office to pay their borrowed money where they issued a check under the account of Barangay 7 in the amount of P140,000 signed by Bernabe and Base.
The complainant presented the check to the bank to have the amount deposited to his bank account, but the check was dishonored for the reason that there was “no advice on file.”
In their counter-affidavit, respondents Bernabe and Base admitted that they signed and issued the subject check.
They maintained that the subject check was part of the check series (one checkbook) issued by the barangay in 2017, the time when respondent
Bernabe was the village chief. They insisted that respondent Bernabe did not usurp any authority or falsify the subject check, the same having been issued in 2017 when he was the village chief, the order added.
DILG-Bacolod officer-in-charge director Christian Nagaynay said they served the suspension order on Monday at the Barangay Hall, which it covered its village chief Hercy, Kagawad Bernabe, and Base.
“This is for a 3-month suspension for a simple misconduct offense. Same copies have been furnished to the City Mayor’s Office, Commission on Audit, Landbank, and Government Service Insurance System,” he said.
He added that Kagawad Christian Jake Arenas has been notified and was instructed to take an oath and assume as acting village chief within the period of suspension.
Nagaynay noted that their main concern now is to assist the village to ensure that operations continue and delivery of services are taken care of.
Hercy, her husband Bernabe, and Base could not be reached for comment on Tuesday, September 3. /MAP
