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2 Bacolod city gov't workers suspended for extortion

Philippines | Luzon

2 Bacolod city gov't workers suspended for extortion

By Glazyl Masculino

BACOLOD CITY – Two building inspectors assigned to the Office of the Building Official (OBO) here were suspended for 60 days for alleged extortion.

BENITEZ (Glazyl Masculino)

In a press briefing on Monday, February 12, City Legal Officer Romeo Carlos Ting Jr. said these two building inspectors have been formally charged for gross misconduct.

According to the complainant, these regular city government employees initially asked for P15,000 to expedite the OBO clearance approval on January 11. However, the amount was later reduced to P5,000 during a Mayor's Permit renewal inspection.

Ting said that a hearing will be scheduled and they have an option if they want to be represented by a lawyer.

They denied the allegations against them, saying that they only did their work, upon the submission of their explanation, last month.

Ting said that the charges and the suspension order were issued based on evidence. He said that a video showing the offense has reached the attention of Mayor Albee Benitez.

Benitez said they are unrelenting in their drive against corruption. “These are the things we will never tolerate,” he added.

He said that they will suspend or dismiss a huge number of employee if it requires the city to do it.

The mayor said the preventive suspension is a forum for them to refute allegations.

Related Tags

Bacolod City Building inspectors Office of the Building Official Extortion Mayor Albee Benitez

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