Dumaguete City Councilor Faces 9-Month Suspension Following Graft Allegations

A city councilor in Negros Oriental is facing a nine-month suspension over a graft complaint related to a construction project at Negros Oriental State University (NORSU) – Bais City campus, according to the Department of the Interior and Local Government – Central Visayas (DILG-7).

DILG-7 legal officer Michael Bandal, along with Director Farah Diba Gentuya, issued the suspension order to Councilor Joe Kenneth Arbas, who reportedly received it while undergoing medical treatment at a local hospital.

The immediate suspension without pay was mandated by the Office of the Ombudsman, following the receipt of a graft complaint filed by Michael Daniel.

Arbas, however, claims that the complaint is unrelated to his duties as a councilor and revolves around a construction project at the NORSU – Bais City campus, in which he is involved. He asserts that the case had already been dismissed by the Bais City prosecutor’s office.

The Ombudsman’s ruling cites the suspension as being due to “conduct prejudicial to the public interest,” as stated by Bandal.

Source: PNA