PROV’L CAPITOL, Laoag City, June 5—The Sanggguniang Panglalawigan of Ilocos Norte chaired by Vice Gov. Angelo Marcos Barba has declared that three members of the De Lara family of Solsona, Ilocos Norte, namely, town Mayor Jonathan de Lara, his father Vice Mayor Joseph de Lara and senior Sangguniang Bayan member Edison “Butch” de Lara, brother of the latter, will not be placed under preventive suspension while their case is being heard by the provincial board.
The three are facing an administrative case before the SP province on the charges of dishonesty, grave misconduct and conduct unbecoming of a public officer filed by Association of Barangay Captains president Alexander “Alex” Calucag, SB members Mark Dennis del Castillo, Jose Martin and Lorenzo Pascua, all of Solsona town.
In a decision, the provincial board said it spared the three respondents from being placed under preventive suspension on the belief that the said respondents could not possibly influence the witnesses who happen to be the complainants themselves nor possibly tamper the records and documents which were already submitted to the Ombudsman office.
The complainants alleged, among things, that the respondents did not include in their latest annual statement of assets and liabilities net worth (SALN) the names of their relatives who are currently employed in the municipal government of Solsona.
Mayor De Lara told reporters that it was an honest mistake that they failed to include in their SALN the names of their kin who are government workers. In making SALN, we only focus on our assets and liabilities, he said.
As this developed, SP insiders said, however, that the De Lara respondents may not yet be off the hook as the hearing of their administrative case would still push through in the succeeding SP sessions until the provincial board resolves the case and decides the final verdict.(tsg with dy, ga, rj reports)
