Five Lapu-Lapu barangay officials charged for document falsification

CEBU, Philippines - Five barangay officials of Pusok in Lapu-Lapu City, including barangay captain Tranquilino Omolon, have been charged with 36 counts of falsification of public documents.

In a joint affidavit-complaint filed by barangay councilors Vicente Famador, Bonifacio Gomez, barangay record keeper Marianne Malong and utility worker Roselyn Bensi, they accused Omolon and treasurer Lido Beduya for making it appear that there was a bidding for the purchase of toilet bowl and PVC, camping materials and electrical supplies when in fact it did not happen.

The complainants said Omolon made a purchase request addressed to Beduya, sometime in October 12, 2009 for toilet bowls and PVC amounting to P162,500. The same request was also sent, sometime in October 2, 2009, for purchase of camping tents, blankets, chargeable waterproof and flashlights and sleeping bags amounting to P142,162.50.

In May 7, 2010, the BAC also made anomalous transactions on the canvass and bids of the electrical items amounting to P50,535.

Famador, Gomez, Malong and Bensi allegedly said that Bids and Awards Committee composed by councilors Alberto Booc Jr., Edgardo Patalinghug and Victoriano Booc and Beduya signed and approved the purchase order of the various items.

They award the items – the toilet bowl and PVC, electrical supplies and camping materials to bidder Llamor Multisales as it allegedly tendered the lowest price in all items.

Booc, who is the chairman of the budget and appropriation of the barangay council, said Omolon and Beduya prepared the check for the payment of the items.

But according to the complainants, Omolon, Beduya and the entire BAC members made it appear that there were public bidding conducted and delivery of supplies by falsifying public documents.

“We can attest to the fact that the project did not actually materialize as portrayed by them,” the complainants said, adding that the items were never delivered and used for alleged projects.

In the same complaint, Malong and Bensi said that the barangay officials falsify the purchase and awarding of the medical supplies for the “Operation Tuli,” which was to be conducted sometime in April 19 in the amount of P53,127.50.

They said that on the same date, there was no “Operation Tuli” conducted and the medical supplies were never been delivered for the intended project.

“The medical supplies were never delivered and used for the intended project,” Malong and Bensi said.

Omolon, according to the complainants, came up with sales invoice in order to justify that there were purchase made for the materials.

In the same complaint, Bensi and Malong accused Omolon, Beduya and Booc for another crime of falsification of public documents for hiring ghost employees to work for the barangay.

Sometime in March and April, the barangay allegedly hired daycare worker, health worker, traffic aide, garbage collector, barangay utility and SK clean and green and Gender and Development worker. Each worker allegedly received an honorarium of P1,500 a month. 

The barangay listed nine personnel who, according to Malong and Bensi, did not work for the barangay.

“The barangay captain certified. In fact, we never saw them working for the barangay,” they said. The names mentioned are merely fabricated to make it appear that they truly work for the barangay in order to receive honoraria, the complainants added.

Sought by The FREEMAN for comment, Omolon said he will answer the charges against him in the proper forum . (FREEMAN NEWS)

PUSHING FOR MANUAL RECOUNT: Defeated councilor files election protest

By Flor Z. Perolina

CEBU, Philippines - A defeated reelectionist councilor of Mandaue City has lodged an election protest before the House of Representatives, seeking for a manual counting of votes not only in the city but also in other areas of the country where there were reported cases of election fraud.

Outgoing councilor Emiliano Rosal has filed his complaint before the Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms with copies of the complaint furnished to the Commission on Elections commissioners in Manila, to senators Mar Roxas and Aquilino Pimentel, Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, Cebu archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal and Fr. Carmelo Diola of the Dilaab Foundation.

Rosal, in his letter-complaint, stated that allegations of the nationwide large scale tampering of the compact flascards (CFs) of the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines used during the May elections guarantee a need for a recounting of votes.

He said that the integrity of Smartmatic being the supplier of the expensive PCOS machines and the Comelec are maliciously placed in bad light unless they cease to maintain their continued denial of massive tampering of CF cards.

Rosal claimed that the testimony of director Jose Tolentino of the Comelec during an investigation in Congress, that there were  about 1,400 reserved CFs that were distributed throughout the country even without an en banc order from Comelec commissioners would add to the suspicion of the people.

According to him, the manual recount of votes is the only way to satisfy the serious clamor of the aggrieved public.

To show proof of his allegations, the councilor attached in his letter-complaint the results of elections in the city furbished to him by the local Comelec which showed that there were some cluster precincts in the city which showed zero votes for all candidates and these are: cluster precinct-5 of Barangay Alang-alang, CP-34 of Barangay Basak, CP-10, CP-107 and CP-151 of Barangay Subangdaku while CP-149 of the same barangay  showed votes of 7 and below only for all candidates which is considered highly irregular according to him.

Rosal also found out some discrepancies in the results for mayor and vice mayor for Mandaue City as the total number of voters who actually voted for mayor was 133,501 and the total valid ballots counted was 133,501 while the total votes for the three candidates for mayor was only 129,454 with an unaccounted valid ballot/votes of 4,047 for mayor which he believed could have been tampered.

While the total voters who actually voted for vice mayor was 133,501, total valid ballots counted was 133,501 while the total votes for the two candidates for vice mayor was only 123,973 with unaccounted valid ballots/votes for vice mayor of 9,528.

Rosal further explained that each cluster precincts has about 1,000 registered voters but with only 73.026 percent turn-out of voters, at least 730 or 4,380 votes were not counted by the PCOS machines.

“I suppose it is incumbent upon the Comelec officials to ensure that the rights of suffrage of those 4,380 voters who sacrificed and patiently lined up for the whole day during elections on account of the chaotic system adopted by the Comelec would be protected,” Rosal said in his complaint./WAB