Tuburan vice mayor indicted for perjury

CEBU, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman Visayas indicted Tuburan Vice Mayor Rosemarie Suezo for perjury for allegedly making a false statement when she was accused of using a government-issued vehicle for her personal interest.

Graft Investigator Jane Aguilar found probable cause against Suezo despite her denial of not using the vehicle in her advantage.

“She (Suezo) knew and admitted that it is prohibited to use government resources for personal use. She wanted to free herself from possibility and thus, has to resort to the said lie,” the anti-graft office’s Resolution reads.

It was a concerned citizen who called the Office of the Ombudsman that a Nissan pickup with plate numbers SGV-371 was spotted at the Sacred Heart School in Barangay Canduman, Mandaue City on 2008.

In the fact-finding conducted by AGIO Jocelyn Dacumos, it was revealed the vehicle was owned by the Municipality of Tuburan per verification from the Land Transportation Office. 

Dacumos said documents showed that Suezo had no official business near the school in Mandaue City the day the vehicle was seen there.

However, Suezo said she left her residence in Tuburan in the morning of Nov. 4, 2008 for Cebu City to follow-up several projects at the Provincial Capitol.

Then after, she went to the provincial police office in Barangay Lahug to discuss concerns about the peace and order in her municipality.

Suezo said when they went back to their municipality they took the route via Barangays Banilad-Talamban-Canduman and Consolacion town, which she said the “most logical route” in going to Tuburan from Barangay Lahug.

On their way, Suezo said she passed by her child at the Sacred Heart School in Barangay Canduman, Mandaue City to “talk, see and have a short time with him.”

After seeing her child, Suezo then proceeded to Tuburan along with her official driver.

She added it was their family driver who fetched her son and brought him home in their residence in Lapu-Lapu City using their family vehicle.

Suezo said she never used her service vehicle or other government-issued vehicle in bringing her children to and from their school, adding she did not also authorize any member of her family to use her service vehicle for personal use.

But Dacumos said evidence she had gathered established that Suezo is criminally liable for violating Article 183 of the Revised Penal Code.

 The graft investigator said the vice mayor “deliberately and willfully lying” in her comment in order to cover-up the truth that she took her son home on board her service vehicle on Nov. 4, 2008.” (FREEMAN)