Navotas barangay head faces sanctions for fraud

A barangay chairwoman in Navotas faces a six month suspension from public office and forfeiture of all salaries and incentives for allegedly deceiving the public and committing an offense involving moral turpitude.

In a four-page resolution unanimously approved by the Navotas Municipal Council, chairwoman Carolina Villota of Barangay North Bay Boulevard (South), Navotas, was charged with presenting to the public a man other than the real one, as her lawful husband.

Villota was allegedly married to Rosendo Macapagal y Ducusin on Dec. 17, 1970 in Navotas (Registry Number 703) but has been living with Ricardo Villota y Lorenzo as the latter’s wife since 1977.

The resolution showed that the woman’s marriage to Macapagal still has the force of law because both are still alive and their marriage has not been annulled by the court.

The officials claimed that Villota’s act gravely violates the moral sentiment or accepted moral standards of the community and involves moral turpitude, a ground for suspension, removal from office or at least prison mayor.

In her counter-affidavit, Villota admitted her marriage to Macapagal and her living together with Villota, whose surname she has already been using.

She said she had won her present position in the last two elections presenting Villota to the electorate as her husband "in good faith."

She claimed that their relation had given the seal of approval by her constituents by virtue of her having won two terms already as barangay chairwoman.

The town council, however, countered that her winning twice in the elections is not proof that her constituents approved of the relation because not all who voted for her knew of her rightful marriage to Macapagal.