Colleagues set to push ethics probe for Bolo

CEBU, Philippines - Five colleagues of board member Juan Bolo want him to face an ethics committee investigation for facilitating the purchase of the controversial Balili property in Naga.

In a meeting with Vice Governor Gregorio Sanchez Monday night after their regular session, five members of the board reportedly agreed to have Bolo investigated by the ethics committee for grave misconduct, abuse of authority and conflict of interest.

Board member Victor Maambong, one of the five, admitted to The Freeman yesterday that they are going towards this direction.

The other board members who supported the move are Agnes Magpale, Wilfredo Caminero, Jose Maria Gastardo and Peter John Calderon.

Maambong said they only need three more colleagues to support the move for the investigation to prosper.

He, however, said they need to finish their inquiry first on the controversial lot purchase before going into the ethics investigation.

Maambong said, the ethics committee chaired by Board Member Alfred Francis Ouano, could impose the penalty of suspension on Bolo if he is found guilty.

Bolo is blamed for the fiasco after he admitted having facilitated the transaction with the executor of the Balili estate.

Capitol’s purchase of the 25-hectare property in barangay Tinaan, Naga was questioned after it was found out that 9.4 hectares of the property was submerged in seawater and planted with mangroves which could not be titled.

It was also traced that Bolo was the one who prepared the Memorandum of Agreement that Governor Gwendolyn Garcia entered into with the heirs of the late Engineer Luis Balili.

The executor of the Balili estate, lawyer Romeo Balili, admitted before the provincial board last Monday that it was only Bolo whom they have been dealing with in the entire transaction.

In fact, the records show that the first payment of the lot on May 21, 2008 was made inside Bolo’s office.

Governor Garcia blamed Bolo for allegedly using her name to be able to get the support from his colleagues in the board. –Fred P. Languido/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)