• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
After recalling the 15-day suspension imposed against Councilor Donato “Natnat” Dumaguit, the Sangguniang Bayan of La Castellana pushed for his expulsion, due to successive absences, during its regular session on November 29.
While he showed up at their regular session on Nov. 22, Dumaguit was nowhere to be found during the La Castellana SB regular session on Wednesday.
Councilor Leonardo Bacquian, who chairs the Sangguniang Bayan committee on Rules, described Dumaguit’s actions as an insult to the Sangguniang Bayan as a body.
In their regular session on Nov. 29, which was presided by acting Vice Mayor Ryan Canoy, the municipal council adopted the committee report of the Committee on Rules chaired by Bacquian.
Dumaguit and his cohort are facing a string of large scale estafa complaints before the Negros Occidental Provincial Prosecutor’s Office, for promising victims entry into the Philippine National Police in exchange for cash.
Based on testimonies of recruited police aspirants, they gave amounts ranging from P247,000 to as much as P300,000 to the recruiters, in exchange for their entry into the PNP.
His absences began after more than 40 complainants came out and accused Dumaguit of mulcting money from them in exchange for an assured slot in the PNP that did not materialize.*
