Barangay officials charged for malversation

CEBU, Philippines - The village chief of barangay Malubog along with his councilman and barangay treasurer were criminally charged before the court yesterday for malversation of public funds through alleged falsification of public documents.

Ombudsman-Visayas graft investigator Portia Pacquiao Suson said that there are enough pieces of evidence to support the charges against Malubog barangay captain Federico Bontilao, councilman Nemecio Tejano and barangay treasurer Joel Tejano who allegedly produced false documents on a project that they implemented in their barangay.

The three were charged of conniving in allegedly defrauding the government by falsifying the time book and payroll for the period September 1 to 16 during the installation of the communal piping system in sitio Tiguib.

The three made it appear that the laborers who undertook the said project received amounts higher than what they actually obtained.

The total amount collected by the laborers was only P8,850 - far from the P21,000 listed on the payroll.

The Ombudsman believed that the remaining P12,150 has been misappropriated by the three.

“Respondents act in affixing their signatures on the payroll and certifying as to the correctness of the facts stated therein despite the falsity of its data in order to obtain public funds in the amount of P12,150 for their personal benefit constitute the offense charged,” Suson said.

“There is sufficient evidence to show that the respondents misappropriated the amount of P12,150 which as stated by them in their joint counter affidavit was the amount representing the difference between the actual amount received by the laborers who worked for the installation of the piping system on September 1 to 16, 2003 and the amount stated in the payroll for the said period which amount was also disallowed by the Commission on Audit,” she added.

A bail of P40,000 each has been recommended. — Jasmin U. Labaco/MEEV   (FREEMAN NEWS)