San Simon Mayor Abundio Punsalan Jr. FB photograb
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – The sangguniang panlalawigan ordered the suspension of San Simon Mayor Abundio “JP” Punsalan Jr. and five town councilors, finding them guilty of “dishonesty, grave misconduct in office, gross negligence, gross dereliction of duty, and grave abuse of authority.”
SP Resolution No. 6786 unanimously approved by members of the provincial board “confirmed and adopted en toto” the decision of its committee on justice, good governance and accountability on Administrative Case No. 03-2020 against Punsalan and members of the town council filed by one Reymundo Almario.
The case arose from a complaint over the questionable purchase by the municipality of a lot near the town hall.
Punsalan was meted with six months suspension, while councilors Ramanoel L. Santos, Mark Macapagal, Irene Dagdag, Randell Bondoc, and Archiebald Basilio received three months suspension “pursuant to Sections 60 and 64 of RA 7160 (Local Government Code).“
The sangguniang panlalawigan decision signed on May 24, 2021 “take effect immediately and shall be immediately executory.”
Punsalan has reportedly filed with the SP a motion for reconsideration.
The mayor was quoted in media reports as saying he had served an earlier two-month preventive suspension over the same case and the SP decision, if finally implemented, would redound only to a four-month suspension.
Punsalan has maintained that the case was politically motivated.
