MARIKINA City engineer and building official Kennedy Sueno, and six other officials from the same department have been placed by the Office of the Ombudsman under a six-month preventive suspension based on pending administrative charges for grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.
Ombudsman Samuel Martires signed the order last June 5, directing Marikina City Mayor Marcelino Teodoro to implement the suspension with a reminder that non-compliance without just cause is deemed sufficient ground to disciplinary action.
Besides Sueno, also suspended were Enforcement Section chief Romeo Gutierrez Jr., building inspector Marlito Poquiz, electrical inspector Alex Copreros, engineer Mark de Joya, electrician foreman Manuel Santos, and administrative aide Abigail Joy Santiago.
“This Office finds sufficient grounds for the issuance of an order for preventive suspension against respondents… considering that there is strong evidence showing their guilt. Their continued stay in office may prejudice the investigation of the case against them,” the Ombudsman said.
Grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, if proven, may warrant dismissal of the respondents from government service.
The charges were based on the complaint filed last month by spouses Brian and Agnes Torres, residents of Twin River Subdivision in Barangay Parang, Marikina City.
Complainants said they applied for a building permit in August 2021 to construct their house but encountered numerous obstacles while trying to secure permits.
They said they were pressured to cough up P430,000 by the staff of the City Engineers’ Office but the permit was only approved on March 2, 2022, only to be revoked on April 19, 2022.
From the start of erecting a fence in November 2021 until the stoppage of all construction works in April 2022, the complainants said they were issued two violation notices, required to secure an exemption for the two-meter setback from the City Council, told to amend the building plan, served a notice of lack of fire certificate, and several visits from various inspectors.
The Torreses elevated their problem to the secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) who issued a status quo order dated June 22, 2022 suspending the implementation of revocation and requiring the building official to explain.
Upon completion of the house in March 2023, the complainants applied for occupancy permit but were informed in August 2023 that the revocation of their building permit remained in effect. This was followed by another letter notifying them that they were charged with violations of the National Building Code before the Marikina City MTC Branch 75.
Agnes Torres said she was subsequently arrested and arraigned, only for the prosecution to withdraw the information, which was subsequently granted by the court.
The couple said they also had “several meetings and ocular inspection by the Mayor and a congresswoman” wherein they were given assurances of assistance in their applications for permits.
“The evidence on record shows the respective participation of respondents… pertaining to the promise to fast-track the processing and approval of complainant’s building and occupancy permits in exchange for monetary consideration, and abuse of power and other retaliatory tactics,” the Ombudsman said.
In the same Order, the Ombudsman noted the complainants’ allegation of “involvement of high-ranking officials, i.e. City Engineer Sueno and Mayor Marcelino Teodoro” although Teodoro was not named as a respondent.
“The pervasive nature of this corruption undermines the fairness and transparency of government procedures, ultimately eroding public trust in their integrity of governance,” the Ombudsman added.
