2 former brgy officials indicted for graft case

CEBU, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas has indicted two former officials of Barangay Basak, Lapu-Lapu City, for five counts of graft for allegedly donating barangay-owned properties without authorization from the barangay council.

Graft investigator Sarah Jo Vergara said after evaluation of the complaint she found enough evidence to hold the respondents for trial.

“There being sufficient evidence tending to prove that respondents entered into five Deeds of Usufruct with several public schools in Barangay Basak, for the use of various barangay-owned equipment and furniture without specific authorization from the sangguniang barangay,” the resolution read.

Named respondents were former barangay captain Lolita Berdin and former barangay treasurer Renato Guillarawan.

Usufruct is the right to use and enjoy the profits and advantages of something belonging to another as long as the property is not damaged or altered in any way.

In his complaint, Barangay Captain Isabelito Darnayla said that on Nov. 30, 2010 he conducted an inventory of all properties upon his assumption of office.

He said he found out around P1 million worth of computers, digital cameras, air conditioners and furniture listed in the Report of the Physical Count of Property, Plan and Equipment were missing.

Darnayla added “apparently, respondent Berdin with respondent Guillarwan acting as witness, just very recently then executed Deeds of Usufruct with a term of ten years on these missing properties in favor of several public schools.”

In their counter-affidavit respondents denied the allegations that the properties were missing.

“It happens that certain properties and items were no longer with the barangay because these were given to different schools by way of usufruct,” the counter-affidavit read.

They said several schools requested various equipment sometime in 2011 and the barangay council granted their requests by passing an ordinance.

In her resolution, Vergara said the barangay ordinance passed on Oct. 4, 2010 was “critically deficient.”

“At the very least the ordinance should have enumerated what properties were to be dispatched, for how long and to which school,” she said. — (FREEMAN)