INQUIRER Global Nation

ILOILO CITY — Malacañang has directed the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to look into the complaints of oppression, grave misconduct and abuse of authority filed against Iloilo Vice Gov. Rolex Suplico.

Manuel Gaite, deputy executive secretary for legal affairs, forwarded the complaint and answers of both the complainant and the respondent to the DILG “for appropriate disposition” of the case.

Provincial Administrator Manuel Mejorada, who filed the complaint against the vice governor, said on Wednesday that he was happy that "the process is moving forward" and that Malacañang endorsed the matter to the proper investigating authority.

Mejorada, who received Gaite's order dated July 2 just last Monday (Aug. 4), said he was confident the DILG could wrap up its investigation “in the next 90 days.”

Suplico, when reached for comment, said he welcomed a DILG probe as “that seems to be the ordinary procedure.”

“I welcome it,” he said in a phone interview.

Mejorada, in his complaint dated Feb. 7, 2008, claimed Suplico "maliciously orchestrated" the removal of the budget for his position.

He said the Iloilo provincial board, upon the advice of Suplico as chairman of the appropriations committee, deleted the items for salaries and wages of the provincial administrator, legal officer and two executive assistants of the governors from the appropriation ordinance passed last January by the board.

Suplico said he had the items deleted because Mejorada's assumption as provincial administrator and that of the other officers in 2007 were done without the concurrence of the provincial board, as required by law for positions co-terminous with the appointing authority, which, in this case, was Gov. Niel Tupas.

Tupas, however, said there was no need to reappoint Mejorada, saying the appointment he signed in 2004 remained valid when he was reelected governor in 2007 and he kept Mejorada as his provincial administrator. /Inquirer