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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Visayas devider Ombudsman asked to probe Lapu-Lapu City legal officer, prosecutor

Ombudsman asked to probe Lapu-Lapu City legal officer, prosecutor

Published Jan 12, 2026 04:41 pm
BUENAFE
BUENAFE
CEBU CITY – The regional director of the Department of Labor and Employment-Central Visayas (DOLE-7) has asked the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas to investigate the legal officer of the City Traffic Management System (CTMS) and an associate city prosecutor in Lapu-Lapu City.
DOLE-7 chief Roy Buenafe, a lawyer, accused Hans Daniel Sinugbuhan, legal officer of CTMS, and Associate City Prosecutor Irish Claire Cantillas-Salva of grave misconduct, gross negligence, gross ignorance of the law, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.
Buenafe cited violations of Republic Act (RA) No. 10173, violation of Republic Act No. 3019, and violation of Republic Act No. 6713.
The string of complaints stemmed from a vehicular accident involving Buenafe’s daughter, Maria Emilia Teofista Buenafe, on Feb. 7, 2025 in Lapu-Lapu.
Based on the affidavit of CTMS traffic enforcer, Sherwin Tampus, Buenafe’s daughter was at fault in the accident.
The other party in the accident, Emie Vidal Matuog, filed a complaint of reckless imprudence resulting in property damage against Buenafe’s daughter.
In his complaint, Buenafe accused Sinugbuhan of convincing Tampus to execute an affidavit and notarize it.
Buenafe said the act of Sinugbahan to notarize the complainant’s affidavit resulted in unwarranted benefits to Matuog and should be considered as a corrupt practice punishable under the law.
“The holding of office of a notary public in one of the local government unit’s properties constitutes blatant disregard for the norms of personal conduct that public officials and employees must observe as part of the standards in the discharge and execution of official duties, one of which is to uphold public interest over and above personal interest,” Buenafe said in his affidavit.
Buenafe accused Sinugbahan of grave misconduct, gross negligence, and violation of RA No. 3019 and RA No. 6713.
Buenafe also filed a separate complaint against Salva for grave misconduct, gross ignorance of the law, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, and violation of RA No. 10173 for dismissing the criminal complaint for violation of RA 10173, or the Data Privacy Act, filed by his daughter against Matuog on April 16, 2025.
Buenafe complained that the photo of his daughter’s driver’s license, attached to the reckless imprudence resulting in damage to property complaint, was illegally obtained by Matuog.
According to the DOLE-7 chief, Matuog took a photo of her daughter’s driver’s license using her mobile phone without her consent.
Buenafe’s daughter filed a motion for reconsideration on May 28, 2025 but it was denied by Salva on June 16, 2025.
Salva explained that the driver’s license photo was “necessary for the establishment of a legal claim.”

Related Tags

Ombudsman Lapu-Lapu City DOLE-7 Roy Buenafe
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