The Office of the Ombudsman has suspended Santa Maria, Laguna's Municipal Treasurer, Ma. Theresa Lagonoy Lontok, for one month and one day without pay due to failures in securing ballot boxes from the 2022 elections. This decision, announced on October 19, is rooted in a 17-page ruling that found Lontok administratively liable for simple neglect of duty, as she did not ensure the security and integrity of the unopened ballot boxes in her custody, a requirement stated in the Omnibus Election Code.
The administrative complaint against Lontok was initiated on March 4, 2025, by Laguna 4th District Representative Maria Jamina Katherine Baltazar Agarao. The complaint accused both Lontok and Santa Maria Mayor Ma. Rocelle Valdecantos Carolino of conspiring to tamper with ballots related to an electoral protest filed by Carolino’s husband, Antonio Carolino, who was a candidate for congressional office at the time.
Inspection records from the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET) revealed that several of the ballot boxes recovered from Santa Maria were not properly sealed. Many lacked the requisite plastic and metal security seals, while others were secured only with packaging tape. Despite decrypted ballot images confirming Agarao’s electoral victory, physical ballots from 16 clustered precincts were deemed to have questionable integrity due to compromised seals and other irregularities.
The Ombudsman's ruling did not find any evidence that Lontok intentionally tampered with the ballots or acted with malice. However, her statements indicated that unauthorized individuals might have had access to the storage area, which raised security concerns. The Ombudsman decided on the minimum penalty in light of Lontok’s long career of 30 years in public service, during which she received various awards and had no prior administrative infractions.
In a separate ruling, the Ombudsman dismissed all charges against Mayor Carolino, clarifying that she did not have any legal responsibility for the election materials' safekeeping. The Ombudsman noted that while the ballot boxes were located at the Municipal Hall under her oversight, there was no concrete evidence to support claims of her involvement in tampering or collusion with Lontok. The ruling highlighted the absence of substantial proof of Carolino’s active participation in or interference with the handling of the ballot boxes, emphasizing that conspiracy cannot be established based solely on conjecture or assumptions.
The outcome of this case marks a significant moment in the aftermath of the 2022 elections, where electoral integrity and the responsibilities of public officials came under scrutiny. With the Ombudsman’s findings, the importance of ensuring proper security measures for election materials is underscored, amid ongoing discussions about electoral transparency in the Philippines.