• THERESA MAE DULMAN
The Bacolod City Legal Office (CLO) has filed administrative and criminal charges before the Office of the Ombudsman against the Barangay 16 captain for allegedly operating a business that blocks a public sidewalk.
The complaint stems from a ‘vendo’ carwash business owned by Jason Ligaya, which was set up along the sidewalk of Palanca Road, a public area that the CLO had previously cleared of all illegal obstructions.
According to City Legal Officer Atty. Karol Joseph Chiu, the barangay captain completely ignored two notices sent by the city in March 2026 ordering the immediate removal of the structure.
Instead of maintaining the cleared roads as mandated by law, the Ligaya explicitly violated guidelines by installing his own business on the pedestrian walkway.
As a result, the CLO hit Ligaya with an administrative complaint for Grave Misconduct alongside a criminal complaint for violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Chiu expressed dismay over the situation, noting that barangay captains are supposed to help the city legal office clear public roads of obstructions, but in this case, it was the Punong Barangay himself who put the obstruction there.
The CLO confirmed that Ligaya is the very first barangay captain in the city to be officially charged over road clearing failures.
Chiu said the filing serves as a warning to other village chiefs in Bacolod, specifically mentioning barangays of Villamonte and 27, among others, to maintain and keep their jurisdictions free from illegal structures.*
