Ex-Romblon mayor charged over unlawful appointment

The Office of the Ombudsman has filed charges against a former town mayor of Romblon over his alleged unlawful appointment of a municipal officer.

Charged with one count of violation of Article 244 of the Revised Penal Code was former Concepcion, Romblon mayor Lemuel Cipriano.

In its charge sheet filed with the Sandiganbayan, the Ombudsman said Cipriano, in August 2013, "willfully, unlawfully and criminally" appointed Diosdado Atillano as administrative officer in the municipality.

Atillano, however, was "ineligible" for appointment, the Ombudsman said, because he ran and lost as a municipal councilor candidate in the May 2013 elections, in violation of Section 94(b) of RA 7160.

No bail was required for the case.

Article 244 of the Revised Penal Code states that "[a]ny public officer who shall knowingly nominate or appoint to any public office any person lacking the legal qualifications therefor, shall suffer the penalty of arresto mayor and a fine not exceeding 1,000 pesos."

Meanwhile, Section 94(b) of RA 7160 provides that no losing candidate cannot be appointed to any office in the government or government-owned or controlled corporations within one year after the elections. — MDM, GMA News