Punta official sues colleague for graft

CEBU, Philippines - Former Sangguniang Kabataan chairperson and current barangay councilwoman of Punta Princesa Manilyn Mar-Mier filed a complaint against her colleague before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas for alleged illegal, unjust and corrupt practices.

In her four-page complaint filed yesterday afternoon, Mier complained that former barangay captain and current councilman Jose Navarro during his incumbency as chief executive of the barangay “maliciously and deliberately deceived members of the council in entering into a contract before clothed with the authority to enter into such contract.”

The contract was in relation to the improvement of a water refilling station amounting to P460,000.

In March 1, Navarro entered into a contract of lease agreement with a certain Ernesto Piodos for the lease of the Aqua Punta Water Refilling Station.

“The barangay council, through Jose Navarro, has been using the barangay funds to spend for the Aqua Punta refilling station’s improvement, equipment, and even electric bills manifestly and deliberately causing grave disadvantage to the government,” the complaint read.

Furthermore, the complainant accused Navarro of using public funds for private purposes because Piodos is Navarro’s relative.

Mier cited Section 335 of the Local Government Code which stipulates that “no public money or property shall be appropriated or applied for private purposes.”

“The water refilling station in actual operation has been managed and operated by his family using public funds for almost all its expenses and took all its income without reimbursing the barangay what is due to be reimbursed,” Mier added.

Mier asked the Ombudsman to look into the real involvement of Navarro in the operation of the refilling station as the name of Navarro’s daughter-in-law reportedly appeared on the delivery receipt.

Aside from the money released for the improvement of the refilling station, the council also disbursed P88,828.10 for the “payment of Floirate upgrading and reverse osmosis membrane”.

In her complaint, Mier is asking the Ombudsman to immediately suspend Navarro pending investigation of the complaint in order to prevent him from taking advantage of his position to influence the outcome of the case.

If Navarro is proven guilty, Mier is also asking for his perpetual disqualification from public office.

Aside from his alleged use of funds for private purposes, Mier also accused Navarro for “disbursement of funds in the amount of P889,367.05 even without attaching any supporting documents” and “releasing P588,158.27 cash advances for the honorarium of barangay officials and personnel even if these were not covered with vouchers”.

It can be recalled that Punta Princesa SK chairman Rey Aldo Porcadilla complained at the Ombudsman that barangay captain Rodulfo Diorico and councilmen Gabriel Salgado, Galileo Lauron, Eleno Andales Jr., and Emilio Tabar; with councilwomen Manilyn Mar-Mier and Marie Ann Maravilles allegedly appropriated P240,992 last May 3 from the SK funds.

The move was criticized as politically motivated as it was Navarro who filed the complaints.

Porcadilla accused the barangay officials of illegal use of public funds, which is penalized under Article 220 of the Revised Penal Code. Porcadilla argued that the SK funds “cannot be used or appropriated other than (for) SK projects and activities”. — Garry B. Lao/MEEV   (THE FREEMAN)