Marikina engineer suspended for six months over fixers in permit issuance

Marikina engineer Kennedy Sueno and two other city officials have been suspended for six months without pay by the Office of the Ombudsman for dealing with fixers in the issuance of building permits.

The special panel found Sueno, Mark de Joya, and Abigail Joy Santiago administratively liable for conduct unbecoming a public officer based on a 20-page resolution dated July 14.

Bribery charges were filed by residents Brian and Agnes Torres in May last year after they paid P430,000 to city engineering office personnel during their application process for building and occupancy permits in August 2021.

The case arose from alleged informal meetings between officials and fixers who intervened on behalf of the complainants, as well as a Facebook Messenger exchange allegedly between Santiago and one of the fixers.

All charges were dropped against other city officials including Enforcement Section chief Romeo Gutierrez Jr., building inspector Marlito Poquiz, Permit Division assistant chief Josephine Evangelista, electrical inspector Alex Copreros, and electrician foreman Manuel Santos for lack of sufficient evidence.