Ex-Tawi Tawi town OIC mayor fined for abuse of authority

A former official in charge of a town mayor's office in Tawi-Tawi was found guilty of abuse of authority for refusing to follow resolutions issued by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) on the reinstatement of three municipal employees he unjustly terminated in 2006.

In a nine-page decision, the Office of the Ombudsman said Officer in Charge Mayor Kuyoh Pajiji of Sibutu town in Tawi-Tawi abused his authority when he ignored without sufficient justification the resolutions of CSC Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao dated August 26, 2011 and January 19, 2012, and a CSC letter dated October 25, 2012.

The Ombudsman said as OIC Mayor, Pajiji was “mandated to ensure that all officers, including himself, faithfully discharge their duties and functions as directed by the Local Government Code.”

“There is abuse of authority when there is excessive or improper use of a thing, or to employ it in a manner contrary to natural or legal rules for its use, as to abuse one’s authority. Abuse includes misuse,” the Ombudsman added.

Since Pajiji is no longer in office, he was slapped with a fine equivalent to the amount of his three-month salary. — BAP, GMA News