Mark Macias new Governor of Negros Oriental
Former Vice Governor and acting Governor Edward Mark L. Macias has been sworn in as the new Governor of Negros Oriental on December 19, 2017. Doc Mark, as Mark Macias is known to many Negrense, took the oath by way of succession after the DILG served Roel Degamo the dismissal order. At the same procedure acting Vice Governor Mariant Villegas took her Oath of Office as the Vice Governor of the Province of Negros Oriental by the way of succession.
Mark Macias experienced to step up
Doc Mark is not inexperienced in stepping up and taking over responsibilities. He already took his oath as an acting Governor of Negros Oriental back on 17th of June 2016 when Roel Degamo was dismissed by the ombudsman but refused to leave his office at the capitol building while hundreds of trike drivers blocked the building. No matter how all political play will end, it is important that the province of Negros Oriental will be lead by a stabled Government.
There are a lot of tasks laying ahead which only can be handled by a strong and united government. Let us all pray for the new Governor “Doc” Mark Macias and his team that he will make the right decision and take the correct steps to guide our province into a progressive and safe future.
DILG serves dismissal to Degamo
The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in Central Visayas on Tuesday served the dismissal order against Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo, who was found guilty of grave misconduct over the “anomalous” use of the province’s 2013 budget.
The Office of the Ombudsman ordered his dismissal earlier this month. Lawyer Rene Burdeos, DILG Central Visayas regional director, personally served the dismissal order at Degamo’s residence in Dumaguete City around 8:30 a.m.
Degamo was in a private meeting in Bacolod City at the time the document was served. His guard received it on his behalf. In its ruling, the Ombudsman perpetually disqualified Degamo from holding public office and forfeited his retirement benefits. It also cancelled his eligibility and barred him from taking the civil service examination.
Earlier, Degamo was suspended as he faced separate charges of malversation of public funds through falsification for the alleged questionable disbursement of calamity funds in 2011. The charges were filed in 2012 after the Department of Budget and Management found anomalies in the procurement of materials and payments for the rehabilitation of infrastructure destroyed by Typhoon Sendong, a deadly storm that struck in 2011, and a powerful earthquake. In January, Degamo surrendered to the Sandiganbayan sheriff and later posted a P1.115-million bail for the criminal cases he is facing.
