THE Office of the Ombudsman has suspended three officials of the Marikina City Engineering Department led by City Engineer and Building official Kennedy Sueno after they were questioned for dealing with fixers and private applicants for permits.
In a 20-page decision signed by former Ombudsman Samuel Martires on July 14, 2025, the special panel of investigators found the respondents guilty of the administrative offense of conduct unbecoming of a government employee and imposed on them the penalty of six month suspension without pay.
Other than Sueno, also covered by the suspension order are Mark de Joya and Abby Salvador (a.k.a. Abigail Joy Santiago). If any of the three is no longer connected with a government post, the Ombudsman said the penalty will be converted to a fine equivalent to six months pay, deductible from any benefits due them.
The administrative case stemmed from a complaint filed by spouses Brian and Agnes Torres, residents of Twin River Subdivision in Barangay Parang, Marikina City, who said they encountered numerous obstacles when they applied for a building permit in August 2021 to construct their house.
They said they were pressured to cough up P430,000 by the staff of the City Engineers’ Office but the permit was approved only on March 2, 2022, only to be revoked on April 19 of the same year.
The original complaint was for the more serious offenses of grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best Interest of the service but these were dismissed for insufficient basis.
Investigators cited the absence of the elements of “transgression of an established rule” and “corruption, clear intent to violate the law, or flagrant disregard of established rule” under the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees (RA 6713).
For the same ground, all charges were dismissed against the rest of the respondents namely, Enforcement Section chief Romeo Gutierrez Jr., building inspector Marlito Poquiz, Permit Division assistant chief Josephine Evangelista, electrical inspector Alex Copreros, and electrician foreman Manuel Santos.
In its decision, the Ombudsman panel noted informal meetings between the public officials and two fixers it identified as Ryan Dahilig and Hilario “Puto” David who tried to intercede on behalf of the Torres couple.
Investigators also admitted in evidence a screengrab of the Facebook Messenger chat between Santiago and David presented during the clarificatory hearings.
Owing to the positions of Sueno, De Joya, and Santiago, the Ombudsman said they have “highly sensitive duties” as well as “access to all documents, being privy to processes, and having inside knowledge of the evaluation of applications.”
“Their underhanded dealings with “fixers” and building permit applicants give the impression of influence peddling in the City Engineering Office of Marikina (City),” the panel said.
