MANILA — The Office of the Ombudsman has filed two separate graft charges against Borbon, Cebu Vice Mayor Noel Dotillos in connection with the release of an anniversary bonus to municipal employees in 2019 and the hiring of his wife as Municipal Health Officer in 2024 when he was still serving as mayor.

In a statement, the Ombudsman said the cases were filed before the Regional Trial Court in Bogo City, Cebu after it denied the motion for reconsideration filed by Dotillos and Municipal Budget Officer Teresita Cabahug.

In the first case, Ombudsman prosecutors alleged that Dotillos authorized the release of a total of P570,000 in anniversary bonuses to municipal employees in 2019 despite the absence of approval from the municipal council.

According to the anti-graft body, the disbursement lacked the necessary appropriation.

“With no appropriation to support the subject disbursement, the Municipality of Borbon suffered undue injury in the amount of P570,000 as this sum was never supposed to be disbursed as an anniversary bonus. Simply put, the municipal government had no budget for an anniversary bonus, but respondents-movants authorized its grant anyway,” the Ombudsman said.

Dotillos and Cabahug argued that the lack of an appropriation constituted only a procedural lapse and did not automatically amount to graft.

Dotillos also maintained that the grant and processing of the bonus were done in good faith.

In a separate case, the Ombudsman accused Dotillos of entering into a contract of service with his wife, retired Municipal Health Officer Dr. Corazon Dotillos, in 2024 without first securing authorization from the Sangguniang Bayan.

The Ombudsman said the arrangement allowed Dr. Dotillos to continue serving as Municipal Health Officer and receive compensation after her retirement.

Records showed that Dr. Dotillos retired in 2021 and was later granted two six-month extensions by the Civil Service Commission.

“Dotillos exhibited manifest partiality or evident bad faith in entering into a COS with his wife. The claim that there are no physicians available or willing to work as MHO in Borbon, Cebu, is self-serving. There is no proof that the plantilla item was ever published after respondent Corazon’s retirement, and any effort was made to secure a permanent appointment for such a position,” the Ombudsman said.

The Ombudsman recommended bail of P90,000 for each charge.