This is an administrative case against Sultan Bato Ali, Mayor of Dansalan City, for abuse of authority, oppression, illegal exaction, padding of payrolls, etc., filed by Datu Esmayatan Lucman, Hadii Dolinoguen Ampuan, Sheik Muctar, and Sheik Ysmael Corocoro. The charges were investigated by the Integrity Board thru a Special Investigator. Early in the course of the investigations, the complainants withdraw some of the charges and the remaining ones were consolidated by agreement of the parties, as follows:

1. That the respondent, thru his policemen, exacted registration and berthing fees on motor-boats berthing at Dansalan City, and market fees on goods and merchandise coming into and going out of the city, in arbitrary and illegal amounts, using threats and intimidation to enforce collection;

2. That the respondent misappropriated government gravel for his personal use, utilizing the services of municipal laborers and policemen to haul the stolen gravel to his residence;

3. That the respondent, with grave abuse of power and in violation of law, obtained without payment for members of his family household necessities from the market vendors, requiring the market collector to exempt the said vendors from payment of market fees corresponding to the value of the articles taken from them.

The Integrity Board found the following facts to have been duly established:

That the respondent, through his policemen, by means of threats and intimidation, exacted and collected (1) registration and berthing fees on launches berthing at Dansalan City, in the sum of ?2.00, for which sometimes ?1.00 receipts were given, and at other times no receipts were given at all, and (2) market fees in arbitrary amounts on goods and merchandise coming to and going out of Dansalan City.

That in the months of October and November, 1949, the respondent mayor with abuse of his official position and authority and in violation of law, misappropriated for the construction of his house crushed stones belonging to the government and intended for the construction and repairs of public roads, and utilized the services or government laborers in the construction of said house, at government expense and on government time.

That the respondent mayor, with grave abuse of his official position, power and authority, and in violation of law, obtained for members of his family household goods and articles of value from market vendors, in the City of Dansalan, without paying for them, and, in lieu of payment therefore, ordered the market collectors to exempt the vendors concerned from the payment of market fees in the amount corresponding to the value of the goods and articles so taken from them.

In the light of the foregoing, the Integrity Board found the respondent guilty of the aforementioned charges and recommended his separation from the service. After going over the record, I found the findings of the Board fully substantiated. By his dishonest actuations as chief executives of Dansalan City, the respondent has shown unfitness to remain in the service.

WHEREFORE, and in accordance with the recommendation of the Integrity Board, Sultan Bato Ali is hereby removed from office as Mayor of Dansalan City, effective upon receipt of copy of this Order, without prejudice to the taking of such criminal action against him as the facts of the case may warrant.

Done in the City of Manila, this 9th day of March, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and fifty-three, and of the Independence of the Philippines, the seventh.


By the President:

(Sgd.) MARCIANO ROQUE
Acting Executive Secretary