MikeLigalig.com

Published in the Bohol Chronicle

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Panglao Vice Mayor Pedro Fuertes was formally sworn in as acting town mayor after Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Assistant Regional Director Pedro Noval finally served the suspension order of Mayor Doloreich Dumaluan last Sunday.

This development broke the impasse between the DILG and the Panglao officialdom as to who is the town's recognized mayor.

It may be recalled that Fuertes issued a memorandum to all Panglao heads of offices that he has assumed the office of the mayor, in an acting capacity, due to the denial of Dumaluan's petition for the issuance of a permanent injunction and the expiration of the mayor's 60-day temporary restraining order by the Court of Appeals (CA).

This was refuted by the DILG provincial and regional offices since no official directive was issued by their central office.

Meanwhile, Panglao first councilor and vice mayoralty candidate Leonila Montero was also sworn in by Noval as acting vice mayor at the town hall Sunday.

In an interview with the Chronicle, Noval said as early as Saturday they already received advice from Sec. Ronaldo Puno that the suspension order of Dumaluan will be released.

The suspension order came weeks after the CA decided on Dumaluan's petition.

Immediately after serving the 6-month suspension of Dumaluan around 11 o'clock Sunday, Noval proceeded to the residence of the vice mayor to give a copy of the order from Sec. Puno.

Montero, on the other hand, took her oath at the office of the municipal Local Government Operations Officer on the same day.

Dumaluan, who is seeking a re-election, was suspended due to an anti-graft case filed by four municipal councilors at the Ombudsman. The case stemmed from alleged misuse of fuel allocations which were used for the mayor's privately owned vehicles. (Kit Bagaipo)

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