LEGAZPI CITY – The acting mayor here assured residents on Monday that the delivery of services would be unhampered, as Mayor Geraldine Rosal started serving her one-year suspension.
Vice Mayor Oscar Robert Cristobal took over Rosal’s post after the Office of the Ombudsman ordered the latter’s suspension, which was enforced by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) provincial office last week.
In an interview, Cristobal said he would continue programs and projects intended for the people.
“Starting today, I scheduled meetings with the different departments to give me a presentation on how their offices, what their programs have implemented, what pipelines need to be implemented, and what problems and issues need to be addressed, so we can better implement the programs,” Cristobal said.
He said he can introduce changes even if he is taking over just now.
‘I will have the opportunity to improve or introduce changes by next year, but as of today, my immediate action is that all the good
plans of the city that are laid out will be implemented properly,” Cristobal explained.
He added that he would seek the guidance of the DILG as to the limitation of his functions and power as acting mayor.
Rosal was found guilty of conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service for reassigning provincial and city government officers upon assuming office in 2022, according to a resolution dated Aug. 29.
She filed an injunction before the Supreme Court but there is no decision yet.
The Ombudsman also ordered the dismissal from service of erstwhile governor Noel Rosal, the suspended mayor’s husband, and permanently barred him from holding any public office due to grave misconduct and oppression after he reassigned to lower-ranked positions three department heads sans justification.
Source: Philippines News agency