By Nycel Jane Dela & Edalyn Acta
Barangay Captain Jeovany Arapol Balsote of Bolo, Roxas City has been ordered dismissed from government service by the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly accepting a bribe and appointing a barangay secretary.
The Ombudsman’s order dated April 13, 2026 and publicly released only last August 20 found Balsote administratively liable from the complaint filed by former barangay secretary Pascual Gemido.
The Ombudsman’s dismissal order stemmed from Gemido loaning P150,000 to Balsote when the latter was still a barangay kagawad before the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) in 2023.
While Balsote was able to pay Gemido P100,000, it was the remaining balance of P50,000 that became the central figure in the complaint.
According to the Ombudsman’s findings, Balsote later admitted receiving the P50,000 but maintained that it was an election campaign contribution given with an understanding that Gemido would be appointed if he won as punong barangay.
The Ombudsman, however, ruled that the transaction constituted a quid pro quo arrangement because the payment was tied to the promise made by Balsote as the appointing authority when he became the punong barangay. It held him administratively liable under Sections 63(A)(1)(k) and (m) of the 2025 Rules on Administrative Cases in the Civil Service.
Aside from dismissal, Balsote was ordered to face cancellation of eligibility, perpetual disqualification from holding public office, banned from taking civil service examinations, and forfeiture of retirement benefits.
While the Ombudsman dismissed the other administrative charges against the barangay kagawads for lack of substantial evidence, it urged the Commission on Audit (COA-6)-Regional Office VI to look into certain transactions by Barangay Bolo and its officials. It included alleged collections for barangay clearances, the release of funds for streetlight projects and the procurement and implementation of several infrastructure projects.
A separate Ombudsman proceeding involving Balsote and other Barangay Bolo officials was later submitted for decision following a clarificatory hearing on May 7, 2026. The May 8 order stated that no further pleadings or documents would be entertained.
Meanwhile, Balsote is also facing a separate criminal case related to the alleged P50,000 appointment transaction after investigators found prima facie evidence. (Photo courtesy of Roxas City Communications Group)
