Lapu-Lapu City administrator Teodulo Ybañez has asked the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas to investigate self-styled anti-graft crusader and businessman Efrain Pelaez, Jr. over his alleged dragging former city mayor Ernest Weigel to commit corruption.
In his complaint before the anti-graft office, Ybañez attached the affidavits of former first lady Paz Weigel and her son Mark Steven wherein they admitted the former mayor’s dealings with Pelaez.
Ybañez said that Pelaez, who heads the Mactan Island Chamber of Commerce and Industry, an accredited graft watch unit of the Ombudsman, should be investigated because it is ironic that an accredited “graft buster” is himself involved in corruption.
“It would be a big blow and only tends to tarnish the image of the Ombudsman,” Ybañez said.
He added that as much as the Ombudsman investigates public officials allegedly involved in corruption, “private individuals who corrupt public officials should also be investigated, tried and convicted before the courts of law to serve as a precedent and deterrent for others to do the same.”
Ybañez anchored his complaint on the affidavits of Paz Weigel and Mark Steven. In the affidavits, Paz and Mark Steven said that Pelaez is the business associate of the late mayor Weigel.
Paz said that her husband left them with a share of stocks of Coralpoint Properties, a company owned by Pelaez, amounting to P1.5 million. The shares of stocks were named under the Pelaez Investment Management Corporation, as her husband’s dummy.
Paz said that after the death of her husband she went to discuss with Pelaez the investment of her husband but she was reportedly surprised when Pelaez gave her a list of supposed unpaid obligations of the late mayor.
According to Paz, Pelaez told her of his supposed favor given to the late mayor instead of him getting the favor for his businesses.
Paz said she decided to sell the shares of her husband in the amount of P1.5 million but Pelaez only agreed to buy it back for P500,000. — Fred P. Languido/MEEV