Ombudsman suspends 8 Antique legislators over P1-billion budget impasse

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The complaints stem from the officials' failure to allocate funding for essential public welfare projects despite a request for prompt action

ILOILO CITY, Philippines – The Office of the Ombudsman has found eight members of Antique’s provincial board guilty of multiple administrative offenses, resulting in another suspension from office.

In a decision approved on Monday, March 10, the Ombudsman imposed a one-year suspension without pay on the eight officials.

Ordered suspended were provincial board members Egidio Elio, Rony Molina, Victor Condez, Alfie Jay Niquia, Plaridel Sanchez IV, Mayella Mae Ladislao, Kenneth Dave Gasalao, and Julius Cezar Tajanlangit.

The Ombudsman ruled that they committed grave abuse of authority, grave misconduct, and conduct unbecoming of a public officer for failing to act on a crucial provincial budget proposal.

If the suspension cannot be enforced due to retirement or separation from service, they will instead face a fine equivalent to one year’s basic salary, payable to the Ombudsman.

Meanwhile, the complaint for gross neglect of duty was dismissed for lack of merit.

Budget impasse

The administrative complaints were filed by Ray Ventura and Stephen Jules Siblag, who accused the officials of “gross neglect or dereliction of duty” as members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan. 

The complaints stemmed from their failure to allocate funding for essential public welfare projects under Supplemental Budget No. 1 for 2024, submitted by Antique Governor Rhodora Cadiao.

The P1.075-billion budget was intended to fund programs and projects financed through Antique’s share of national wealth. It also covered salaries for contract service workers and job order personnel, as well as the procurement of motor vehicles for the provincial board.

Despite Cadiao’s request for “prompt action,” the provincial board allegedly left it unfunded.

The eight officials were previously suspended without pay by the Ombudsman for six months on August 1, 2024, and returned to office in February.

For a month, their suspensions caused operational delays in the 14-member provincial board due to a lack of quorum.

On September 2, the Department of the Interior and Local Government designated three temporary provincial board members to ensure the continued delivery of government services.

Three of the now-suspended officials are running in the 2025 midterm elections.

Elio and Niquia are seeking reelection, while Sanchez IV, an ex-officio board member and president of the Philippine Councilors’ League Antique chapter, is running for a seat in the province’s legislature. – Rappler.com