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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Ombudsman orders 6 months suspension of Mayor Guo of Bamban, Tarlac, 2 other town officials

Ombudsman orders 6 months suspension of Mayor Guo of Bamban, Tarlac, 2 other town officials

Published Jun 3, 2024 07:17 am

The Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) has ordered the preventive suspension for not more than six months of Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Leal Guo and two other town officials after finding that there is strong evidence against them in the administrative charges of grave misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of service, and gross neglect of duty.

Also preventively suspended without pay in an order dated May 31, 2024 issued by Ombudsman Samuel R. Martires were Business Permit and Licensing Officer Edwin Ocampo and Municipal Legal Officer Adenn Sigua.

In its order, the OMB said it found "there is strong evidence showing their guilt, that the charges against them involves Grave Misconduct, Conduct Prejudicial to the Best Interest of the Service, and Gross Neglect of Duty, which may warrant their removal from the service, that their continued stay in office may prejudice the investigation of the case filed against them; that there is a need to preserve the documents and evidence pertaining to this case which they may have control and custody; and in addition in order to avoid the commission of further malfeasance and/or malfeasance in office.”

It also said that given their positions and authority, there is a strong probability that they may influence witnesses or tamper evidence.

The case against them stemmed from the complaint filed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) due to their reported involvement in the offshore gaming operation called Zun Yuan Technology in Bamban, Tarlac that was raided by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) last March 13, 2024 for alleged human trafficking and illegal detention.

One of the documents seized during the raid was a Tarlac Electric Cooperative, Inc. Statement of Account dated March 8, 2024 under the name of Guo.

Then earlier on Feb. 1, 2023, when the police raided another offshore gaming operation called Hongsheng Gaming Technology Inc. due to alleged fraudulent cryptocurrency operations, the police found that their license to operate had already been suspended by PAGCOR months ago.

When the DILG conducted an investigation, it discovered that Guo purchased the land which was where the offshore gaming operations were raided. She likewise granted Hongsheng with the permit to operate when its permit with PAGCOR was suspended.

“The foregoing considered, this Office finds sufficient grounds to preventively suspend Guo, Ocampo, and Sigua considering that there is strong evidence showing their guilt,” the order read.

"Wherefore, complainant's (DILG) prayer for Preventive Suspension is hereby granted but only in so far as Alice Leal Guo, Edwin Ocampo and Adenn Sigua are concerned. They are preventively suspended without pay, during the period of investigation until its termination, but not to exceed six months. In case of delay in the disposition of this case due to the fault, negligence or any cause attributable to the respondents, the period of such delay shall not be counted in computing the period of the preventive suspension," the OMB ordered.

Related Tags

Preventive suspension BAMBAN Ombudsman Samuel Martires Suspension order Ombudsman Bamban Tarlac Alice Guo
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