Gatchalian sacked as Valenzuela mayor, but gets TRO 

 

Valenzuela City Mayor Rex Gatchalian confirmed Saturday that the Office of the Ombudsman has ordered his dismissal from government service after it found him  administratively liable for the fire that destroyed a footwear factory in his city that killed 74 people in May last year. 

 

But Gatchalian was quick in seeking relief from the Court of Appeals, which issued a temporary restraining order stopping the dismissal order handed down by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales.

 

"My counsels received an order (dismissal) to that effect. To the same degree they were able to secure a TRO," Gatchalian said in a text message to GMA News Online when asked to confirm Senator Francis Escudero's statement that the Ombudsman came out with the dismissal order on Friday.

 

Gatchalian is the campaign spokesman of presidential candidate, Sen. Grace Poe, who is running in tandem with Escudero. 

 

The mayor is a member of the Nationalist People's Coalition, which recently threw its support to the Poe-Escudero tandem.

 

Gatchalian was charged last July with violating the Fire Code for issuing a business permit to Kentex Manufacturing Corp., the owner of the star-crossed factory, despite having no fire safety inspection certificate (FSIC) from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).

 

The mayor maintained he and other city government officials did not violate any law in allowing Kentex to operate, citing circulars by the Department of Trade and Industry, Department of the Interior and Local Government and the BFP that allowed the issuance of provisional business permits pending the issuance of FSICs.

 

"This TRO is important because without it there will be a chilling effect on city mayors of highly urbanized cities, as we all exercise the same procedure imposed by the DILG memorandum circulars of the late secretary Jesse Robredo," Gatchalian said. 

 

City government records showed of the 15,775 businesses in Valenzuela that applied for permits in 2014, only 3,577, or 22.54 percent, were inspected by the BFP.  

 

Some 2,667, or 16.91 percent, were given FSICs.

 

"Do they want these establishments to all close down?" Gatchalian said. 

 

Interviewed in Cebu, Escudero insinuated that the issuance of dismissal order against Gatchalian may be politically motivated. 

 

"Hindi naman siguro tama na isa lang at hindi naman siguro nagkataon lang na NPC pa ang biglang binabaan ng ganyang desisyon at spokesperson pa ni Senator Grace samantala ginagawa 'yan ng lahat ng mayor," the senator said.

 

Escudero said administration standard bearer Manuel Roxas II — who was chief of the DILG at the time — is aware of the fact that mayors are authorized to issue a business permit pending the release of FSIC. 

 

"Alam ni Secretary (Mar) Roxas 'yan dahil siya ang DILG secretary pa 'non. Nag-meeting sila ng Metro Manila mayors, sinabi sa kanya ng lahat ng Metro Manila mayors na kung sisisihin niyo at kakasuhan niyo siya, si Mayor Gatchalian, e lahat kami tatamaan and yet siya lang din pa rin ang kinasuhan,"  the vice presidential candidate said. — APG, GMA News