The Office of the Ombudsman has filed two graft charges against Borbon, Cebu Vice Mayor Noel Dotillos over an allegedly unauthorized bonus release in 2019 and the hiring of his wife under a service contract in 2024.
Details of the Charges
Dotillos and Municipal Budget Officer Teresita Cabahug were charged before the Cebu Regional Trial Court in Bogo City after the Ombudsman denied their motions for reconsideration and affirmed its finding of probable cause.
In the first case, authorities said municipal officials approved the release of a P570,000 anniversary bonus for employees in 2019 without an appropriation from the Sangguniang Bayan. Dotillos and Cabahug argued the lack of an appropriation was only a procedural lapse and that the bonus was approved in good faith for the benefit of employees.
The Ombudsman rejected the explanation. “With no appropriation to support the subject disbursement, the Municipality of Borbon suffered undue injury in the amount of PhP570,000.00 as this sum was never supposed to be disbursed as an anniversary bonus,” the ruling said. “Simply put, the municipal government had no budget for an anniversary bonus, but respondents-movants authorized its grant anyway,” it added.
Second Case Involving Wife's Hiring
In a separate case, the Ombudsman said Dotillos, while serving as mayor, entered into a contract of service in 2024 with his wife, Corazon Dotillos, without prior authorization from the Sangguniang Bayan. The arrangement allowed Corazon Dotillos, a retired municipal health officer who left government service in 2021 and later received two six-month extensions from the Civil Service Commission, to continue working and receiving compensation.
The Ombudsman said Dotillos showed “manifest partiality or evident bad faith” in renewing the contract. “The claim that there are no physicians available or willing to work as MHO in Borbon, Cebu, is self-serving,” the ruling said. “Respondent Noel exhibited manifest partiality and/or evident bad faith when he renewed his wife's COS … without securing the corresponding SB authorization.”
Prosecutors said the arrangement gave unwarranted benefit to a relative and was prejudicial to public service and public interest. The Ombudsman recommended P90,000 bail for each charge.
