Palace to implement dismissal order vs Pichay

Malacañang assured the public on Friday that it will implement the Ombudsman order dismissing from duty Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) chairman Prospero Pichay and two other officials over alleged misuse of the agency’s funds. “We will comply with the directive of Ombudsman," deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said at a press briefing. She said the order has been formally transmitted to the Office of the President and the next move will be to instruct Health Secretary Enrique Ona to implement the order. “The ball is now with us. Ang susunod po dyan is mabigyan ng kaukulang utos ng Office of the President ang DOH under Secretary Ona to implement the dismissal order," she said. Valte said the LWUA is under DOH. She maintained that the dismissal order is a lawful order so they need to implement it. Acting Ombudsman Orlando Casimiro signed a decision finding Pichay, acting administrator Daniel Landingin and acting deputy administrator Wilfredo Feleo liable for grave misconduct for their “unlawful disbursement" of P780-million LWUA funds to invest in the Laguna-based thrift bank Express Savings Bank Inc. (EXSBI). He ordered the immediate removal of the three LWUA executives from their posts, their perpetual disqualification from public office and the forfeiture of all their benefits. Pichay earlier said he will question before the Court of Appeals (CA) the dismissal order. LWUA, a government-owned and -controlled corporation, is a specialized lending institution for the promotion, development, and financing of local water utilities, and a depository of the reserves for capital improvement of local water utilities. - VVP, GMA News