Cathelyn O. Torremocha was appointed by Mayor Baba Yap to assume the office of the city administrator after the filing of an indefinite leave by City Administrator Leonides Borja.

In a press statement, Yap said he wants the office of the city administrator to function normally despite the leave of Borja. Torremocha, a certified public accountant, had previously been taking over as OIC administrator at times when Borja was out of the province.

Borja filed his leave the day after his son, EJ, was allegedly caught in possession of ecstasy during an anti-drug operation jointly conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency on Saturday last week.

Meanwhile, Yap assured that he will not meddle with Borja’s case and use his position to “influence” the results of the investigation.

“Rest assured, makasalig mo nga dili gyud gihapon nato gamiton ang atong position para maka impluwensiya sa resulta sa imbestigasyon,” Yap said.

He called on law enforcement agencies to beef up operations against narcotics particularly party drugs and tighten surveillance in bars and night spots in the city. The youthful mayor also advised parents to closely monitor their children who are vulnerable to “peer pressure” and outside influences.