Grave Misconduct Accusations: Kauswagan’s Mayor Suspended

By Armand Apolinario

ILIGAN CITY – Lanao del Norte provincial government has suspended Mayor Rommel Arnado of Kauswagan municipality in the province for ninety days for alleged grave abuse of authority and grave misconduct.

Mayor Arnado’s suspension was signed by Governor Imelda Quibranza- Dimaporo on Dec. 27, 2024, which was approved by the Sangguniang Panglalawigan (SP) that stemmed from suspending the barangay chairman and a barangay kagawad of Barangay Bagumbayan in Kauswagan by Mayor Arnado and his co-suspended officials without due process as required by law.

Also suspended were the mayor’s brother Vice Mayor Maximo Arnado and allied Sangguniang Bayan members who signed the suspension of the barangay officials.

Senior SB member Aga Dimakuta and SB member Kamlon Moner assumed office as acting mayor and acting vice mayor respectively on Jan. 13, 2025 while the suspension is being implemented.

Dimakuta and Moner were not allied with the mayor and did not sign the suspension of the Bagumbayan barangay officials.

The suspension entailed clashes between camps of the mayor and Dimakuta when the former and other local officials were stopped to enter the town hall by the latter and his followers wherein, according to reports, at least two persons were hurt.

Harold Yana, 45, an employee from the town’s municipal engineers’ office, and Tomas Manco, 47, the mayor’s security aide, were wounded when employees of the acting mayor stopped their entry, resulting in a commotion that shattered the town hall’s glass door, and wounding the two employees, reporters quoted Arnado as saying.

The situation was instantly put control by the military and the police.

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