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Mayor issued a show cause, disbarment eyed for CLO

• GILBERT P. BAYORAN

The House committee on Public Accounts yesterday issued a show cause order against Silay City Mayor Joedith Gallego, for failing to attend the inquiry twice in a row, as it dismissed his excuses as unacceptable.

Gallego was nowhere to be found on Monday, during the resumption of an inquiry into alleged irregularities into the three mega infrastructure projects of Silay City government worth a total of P1.1 billion.

He, however, sent a letter to the committee asking to be excused from the hearing, as he cannot leave Silay City due to the imminent eruption of Kanlaon Volcano, as he is preparing evacuation centers for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), according to Abang Lingkod partylist Representative Joseph Stephen Paduano.

Dismissing the reasons as not valid and unacceptable, Paduano moved before the committee to issue a show cause order against Gallego, and for him to explain why he should not be held for contempt.

The solon said that Gallego can delegate somebody to take over his function, as he may be able to “fly in and fly out” after the hearing.

Atty. Janus Jarder, the Silay City Legal Officer, was also nowhere to be found during the resumption of congressional inquiry. He was supposed to serve his detention penalties on January 6, for lying and for being evasive in answering questions being asked by the Public Accounts committee members, during an inquiry last month.

Vice Mayor Thomas Maynard Ledesma and several members of the Silay City Council, as well as some department heads, attended the hearing.

Asked if Gallego will not attend the next congressional inquiry, Paduano said “obviously, he is evading to answer questions from the committee members.”

On plans to pursue a disbarment case against Jarder, chairman of the Bids and Awards Committee of the Silay City government, he said the committee will seek the opinion of the House Legal Department on how to go about it.

Being a lawyer, he is considered to be an officer of the court. He has to obey legal procedures, according to Rep. Acop, who moved to contempt Jarder and his immediate detention on December 18 last year.

Paduano, however, asked the committee to delay the serving of the detention to Jan. 6 this year, which was approved by its members.

During the resumption of hearing, Councilor Darryl Hinolan, chairman of the Silay City committee on Peace and Order, told committee members that Jarder attended the Christmas party of city employees on December 27.

Jarder, who did not report for duty at the Silay City Hall after being cited for contempt, was also issued a show cause order by Mayor Gallego to explain why he failed to turn himself over to the House of Representatives to serve his detention punishment.

Lailyn Ortiz, regional director of the Department of the Interior and Local Government for Negros Island Region, who attended the congressional inquiry, disclosed that Jarder could be held liable for administrative charges, including insubordination, among others.*

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