BORBON Mayor Noel Dotillos is facing another complaint, this time from a barangay captain, over the alleged appointment of his wife as municipal health officer.
Don Gregorio Antigua Barangay Captain Margarito Ornopia Jr. filed a complaint against Dotillos for alleged nepotism and committing graft and corrupt practices before the Office of the Ombudsman—Visayas on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024.
Dotillos, who will be running for vice mayor in the May 2025 elections, is facing a violation of Section 30 of Republic Act (RA) 2260, or nepotism, and a violation of Section 3(e) of RA 3019, or Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
In his complaint, Ornopia sought the issuance of a preventive suspension against Dotillos, seeking administrative sanction be imposed against him and criminal information be filed in the proper forum.
The complaint stemmed from the appointment of Dotillos’ wife, Municipal Health Officer Corazon Dotillos, who has been continuously employed despite her retirement from service.
The mayor’s wife is a medical doctor.
The complainant stressed that the continued renewal of the contract of service of Corazon as a municipal doctor “without authority from the Municipal Council despite the fact that there are a lot of doctors who are capable of doing the job of the wife of the mayor violates Section 30 of RA 2260.”
“While it is true that one exception to the hiring of a relative in the government service is a physician, yet the continued renewal of contract service since the retirement from service of Dra. Corazon Dotillos in the year 2022 violates the provision of Section 30 of RA 2260 as it circumvents the provision of the law by hiding under its exception,” reads a portion of the complaint.
In Ornopia’s complaint, he claimed that the continued hiring of the mayor’s wife after her retirement with a daily salary of P3,500 per day is “grossly disadvantageous” to the Municipality and in violation of RA 3019 despite the fact that there is a qualified doctor who was endorsed by the Municipal Council.
The complaint said that on Oct. 12, 2020, the Municipal Council passed Resolution 120 Series of 2020, endorsing Nestor Casas, a medical doctor, for the role of municipal health officer, as Corazon was at retirement age and serving as a consultant at that time, but the mayor did not appoint Casas.
Upon the retirement of Corazon, the mayor appointed her on a contractual basis, pursuant to Resolution 61, Series of 2022.
However, the resolution did not specify the contract’s duration or pay, though rules state such contracts should last no more than six months and follow Civil Service Law guidelines for compensation.
But Ornopia, in the complaint, cited that the existing rules and regulations specify that a contract of service must not be more than six months and that the remuneration must be based on the Civil Service Law and other applicable laws.
Despite the expiration of Corazon’s contract of service, the mayor repeatedly renewed her contract of service “without the authority from the Municipal Council,” paying her P3,500 a day.
The complaint further said that providing a salary that exceeds the current compensation of a municipal health officer in Borbon constitutes granting unjustified benefits, which violates the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
The complaint alleged that the respondent has a “hidden agenda” to continually renew the service contract of his wife, who earns P3,500 per day.
“Grossly disadvantageous to the Municipality and in violation of the existing rules and regulations regarding the remuneration of a contract of service for retired employees,” a portion of the complaint stated.
In a shared post from the official Facebook account of the mayor on Friday, Oct. 18, he said, “What to expect? Eleksyon na gyud hapit (Election is approaching).”
Dotillos said that he had become used to this as Ornopia had been making similar complaints since 2016.
Background
In SunStar Cebu’s report on June 28, Dotillos, his wife and four other incumbent and former municipal officials were facing multiple charges for hiring the mayor’s wife as a rural health officer even after the expiration of her contract.
The mayor was also accused of disbursing an anniversary bonus in 2019 despite the lack of a required appropriation ordinance or approved supplemental appropriation.
Dotillos and five other respondents were charged with grave misconduct and conduct unbecoming of a public official for violations of Section 305(a) of RA 7160, Section 3(e) of RA 3019 and Section 4(a) of RA 6713, before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas.
The Ombudsman received a copy of the complaint on June 28. / CDF
