Chief of senior citizens agency suspended

MALACAÑANG has placed the chairman of the chairman of the National Commission on Senior Citizens (NCSC), Franklin Quijano, on a 90-day preventive suspension pending investigations on a complaint for gross neglect of duty and grave misconduct filed against him.

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, in an order dated July 9, said that considering the gravity of the accusations against Quijano, and “in order to prevent possible undue exertion of influence on witnesses and tampering of evidence, his preventive suspension pending investigation is warranted.”

The 90-day preventive suspension takes effect immediately.

Quijano declined to comment on his suspension.

The allegations against Quijano stemmed from a complaint filed by a Jose Fracisco Tapia for gross neglect of duty and grave misconduct.

Prior to the complaint, there had been calls for a revamp of the NCSC for alleged graft and corruption.

Five NCSC commissioners, namely Rainier Cruz, Enriqueta Rodeles, Mary Jean Loreche, Edwin Espejo and Reymar Mansilungan, have also issued a manifesto in June calling on Quijano to step down due to alleged “grave abuse of authority, gross misconduct, gross negligence of duty, ignorance of the law and conduct inimical to the interest of the public.”

The NCSC commissioners said the agency has been fiscally mismanaged and had no clear projects since Quijano assumed office in 2019.