Despite the Ombudsman’s decision, Bacolod Mayor Monico Puentevella said he still maintains his trust and confidence in Isidro Sun Jr., the head of the Office of the Building Official, because records show Bacolod has gained a lot of income since he took over the office.

The Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas has ordered the filing of criminal case before the court against Sun Jr. and Jose Maria Makilan, andalso meted them the penalty of suspension from the service without pay for six months and one day, after finding them guilty of the administrative offense of conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

Puentevella said they will respect the decision of the Ombudsman but he will discuss with City Legal Officer Rayfrando Diaz ll what course of action to take on the case.

The criminal case was ordered filed by the Ombudsman after finding probable cause to indict them for falsification of official document in relation to an application of Mainstream Business Inc. for business permitfor the expansion of the north wing of SM City Bacolod.

The complaint was filed against them by section heads Sharon Gayanelo, Cary Memoria and Glenda Pajes, of the OBO Architectural Section, Structural Section and Plumbing and Sanitary Section, respectively, on Nov. 15, 2013.

Sun said he filed a motion for reconsideration with the Ombudsman last week.

Both Sun and Makilan, have denied the allegations of the complainants in their counter-affidavit, and said that they merely re-checked the computation after Mainstream complained about the alleged exorbitant fee for their building permit application.

The complainants filed the criminal charges against Sun and Makilan for violation of Parag. 2, of Article 171 of the Revised Penal Code, when they falsified a computation sheet they had prepared for the building permit fees of Mainstream, “by causing it to appear that we participated in re-processing and re-computing the building permit fees when, in fact, we did not,” they also said.

The recomputed sheet showed that the original figures had been erased and substituted with the much reduced amount but the signatures of the complainants were retained.

They claimed that, because of the respondents’ erroneous computation and the alleged falsification, Bacolod City suffered injury amounting to P698,500.

“CONSPIRACY APPARENT”

Graft Investigation and Prosecution Officer 1 Carmelle Baybay-Suson, in her order dated July 24, 2014, said conspiracy between Sun and Makilan is apparent in the case as both conspired with each other in falsifying the computation sheet.

Without the directive and signature of Sun and the active participation of Makilan in erasing the original computation and affixing his signature, the offense of falsification of official document could not have been consummated, she said.

Suson ordered that corresponding information be filed in the proper court against Sun and Makilan, there being probable cause to indict them for falsification of official document.

“GOOD JOB”

Puent evella said he believes Sun has done a good job but he does not like the idea that the people around him were the ones who filed the case against him, he added.

“But as far as trust and confidence, we have earned a lot of money when Sun took over OBO and the collection of Bacolod increased,” he said.

However, he has people in mind to replace Sun if ever he will be suspended as ordered by the Ombudsman, he added.*CGS

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