PILI, CAM. SUR- The Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for Luzon has ordered the municipal mayor of Pili "to withdraw" dismissal order he issued to the chief accountant of the municipal government of Pili.

        Victor C. Fernandez, deputy ombudsman for Luzon has warned, in a letter sent to municipal mayor Tom as Bongalonta, to abide by the order of the deputy ombudsman or else his office will take "legal action" against the mayor if and when the latter defies his order.

        In a letter dated April 7, 2006, addressed to Pili mayor Tom Bongalonta, deputy ombudsman for LuzonVictor C. Fernandez has told the mayor that with his filing of a complaint against Eileen Ceron in the Office of Deputy Ombudsman, the mayor "has effectively relinquished [his] jurisdiction as the disciplining authority" and, therefore has no longer the authority to dismiss Eileen Ceron as chief accountant of the accounting department of Pili Municipal Government.

        Deputy Ombudsman Fernandez asked the Pili mayor to explain his action to dismiss Eileen D. Ceron whom he accused of "using the Municipality's Trust Fund to cover the amount supposedly deducted from her salary". Bongalonta explained in his reply that the dismissal of the chief accountant "is within legal bounds due to the pendency of six counts of Estafa Through Falsification of Public Documents against her before the Regional Trial Court of Pili, Camarines Sur".

        Fernandez also reminded the mayor regarding the resolution passed by the Regional Office of theCivil Service Commission which held that with his complaint filed against Ceron with the CSCRO No. V, "he effectively relinquished his disciplining authority over the person".

        The deputy ombudsman opined that in the same manner that the mayor has relinquished his power to place Eileen D. Ceron under preventive suspension, he has also relinquished his jurisdiction to dismiss the same.

        Thus, he ordered the Pili Mayor to "withdraw your Memorandum dated 25 October, dismissing respondent Eileen Ceron from the service; otherwise, we will be constrained to take appropriate legal action against you."

        Eileen Ceron told the Bicol Mail that he will wait what action Mayor Bongalonta will take in response to the order issued by the deputy ombudsman.

        Bongalonta for his part told the Bicol Mail in an interview that he will send his reply to the order of the Deputy Ombudsman's Office within 10 days but that he is insistent that he can no longer accept Eileen D. Ceron to return to her former job as head of the accounting department. He said "the municipal government is already in peace without her, so let's leave it as is."

        He said he has already instructed his lawyer to prepare his reply to the deputy ombudsman. "My lawyer will make the necessary action in response to what the deputy ombudsman has ordered" he said.