CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Barangay Pagatpat has a new village chief after the Office of the Ombudsman for Mindanao ordered the enforcement of its long-standing decision dismissing former Barangay Chairman Achilles Jude Babaran from government service.

The Ombudsman’s reimplementation order, dated June 4, 2026, directed city officials to enforce its February 6, 2017 ruling that found Babaran guilty of violating Republic Act No. 6713, or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, as well as grave abuse of authority and grave misconduct.

The ruling carried the penalty of dismissal from service, along with accessory penalties including the cancellation of civil service eligibility, forfeiture of retirement benefits, and perpetual disqualification from holding any government position.

Records showed the administrative case stemmed from a rape complaint filed in 2015.

The Ombudsman ordered city officials to implement the dismissal within 10 days from receipt of the order.

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Following Babaran’s removal, first-ranked Barangay Councilor Jude Fuentes formally assumed the post of barangay chairman and took his oath before Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Rolando “Klarex” Uy on Thursday afternoon.

Mayor Uy urged Fuentes to provide effective leadership and uphold good governance in serving the residents of Pagatpat.

Meanwhile, Babaran expressed disappointment over the implementation of the Ombudsman’s order, saying he was surprised the case resurfaced while preparations for the upcoming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections were underway.

In a statement posted on his official Facebook page on June 17, Babaran said:

“While I will not speculate on the motives behind this development, I leave it to the good judgment of our people to consider the timing and circumstances of this matter.”

He added that he would continue to respect the legal process while pursuing all available remedies to protect his rights and seek what he described as a fair resolution of the case.