Acting Gov. Edward Mark Macias is back to being Negros Oriental’s Governor after the Department of Interior & Local Government implemented Tuesday the order of the Ombudsman dismissing Gov. Roel Degamo for Grave Misconduct.
The Province’s number one Board Member, Mariant Escano-Villegas, who was Acting Vice Governor, was also sworn in as the new Vice Governor of the Province.
Macias and Villegas were ordered by the DILG to assume their new posts to avoid any vacuum. They took their respective oaths by way of succession before Regional Trial Court executive Judge Gerardo Paguio Jr. at noontime at the Hall of Justice in Piapi, Dumaguete City.
Interior & Local Government Regional Director of Region 7 Atty. Rene Burdeos, together with DILG Provincial Officer Dennis Quiñones, served the dismissal order outside the governor’s residence in Barangay Junob in Dumaguete City while Degamo was out of town.
In an interview, Macias said there’s nothing new with the order because he is currently sitting as acting governor.
As a full-fledged governor, Macias said only the word “Acting” was removed.
As a public official however, he said he is bound to obey orders but as to whether Degamo is totally out of the picture, Macias said the Governor has legal remedies.
Macias made it clear that in the event Degamo will be able to secure a Status Quo Ante Order, he will gladly step down after Degamo serves his preventive suspension for another case in mid-January.
Degamo is serving a 90-day preventive suspension in relation to another case filed against him for alleged misuse of the province’s calamity fund and is expected to return in mid-January 2018.
Macias also clarified that the suspension order and the dismissal order are for two different cases; the first will expire in January 16 or January 18 of next year and the second will depend on whether a TRO is issued.
The Governor had earlier said that the deputy Ombudsman may have axe to grind against him after filing a complaint of selective justice before the high court and that it is becoming more personal than on the merits of the case.
On the other hand, the dismissal order is in relation to a complaint filed against Degamo for alleged illegal use of the province’s Php 10-million intelligence fund. (Juancho Gallarde/PNA)
