Ombudsman dismisses Eastern Samar mayor

TACLOBAN CITY- Taft, Eastern Samar Mayor Francisco C. Adalim has stepped down from office Monday morning following the recent Office of the Ombudsman ruling dismissing him from service due to grave misconduct, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) regional office here said.

DILG Regional Director Pedro A. Noval, Jr. has sworn Vice Mayor Diego T. Lim into office as the new local chief executive after the DILG team served the Ombudsman ruling. Mr. Adalim is the first local chief executive in Eastern Visayas dismissed from the post.

“Adalim personally accepted the dismissal order coming from the Ombudsman but refused to sign the proof of receipt. His refusal thus prompted the Team to resort to a constructive service by posting a copy in his office, and by sending a third copy via registered mail,” Mr. Noval told BusinessWorld.

The Office of the Ombudsman ruling issued on March 6, 2012 and signed by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales found Adalim guilty of administrative office of grave misconduct.

“Accordingly, he is meted the penalty of dismissal from the service with the accessory penalties of forfeiture of retirement benefits and perpetual disqualification for reemployment in the government service,” the decision asserted.

Mr. Adalim, who is now on his third term as the mayor of Taft has been facing administrative charges after he dismissed 25 local government employees on August 2005 reportedly taking their absence without his approval.

The Civil Service Commission (CSC) earlier directed Adalim to reinstate the workers and pay them salaries covering the period from the time of their termination until their reinstatement.

The mayor’s negligence of the CSC order prompted the agency to file an administrative case before the Office of the Ombudsman.

Mr. Adalim just reassumed his office on Dec. 21, 2011, after heeding the Ombudsman order suspending him for six months since June 24, 2011 due to the same case.

When reached for comment, Mr. Adalim refused to accept several mobile phone calls. Mr. Noval said that the dismissed official can avail of all existing legal remedies and seek relief from the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court.

“In the absence of temporary restraining order, the order stays and he should stop discharging the functions of the office,” Mr. Noval added.

The DILG regional chief said that the town is generally peaceful but the provincial office of the Philippine National Police in Eastern Samar has deployed a team in the area to assist the local police if in the case there will be problems.

He stressed that Mr. Adalim’s dismissal will serve a signal to all other elected officials that they should follow the law because of the Ombudsman will really decide based on the merits of the case all those related to public administration

Taft, located 156 kilometers northeast of Tacloban City is a fourth class municipality. It has been known as election hotspots in the past polls due to occurrence of election-related violence. (Sarwell Q. Meniano)