Malabon vice mayor faces embezzlement raps

Malabon City Vice Mayor Arnold Vicencio was charged with embezzlement before the Office of the Ombudsman for authorizing the payment of nearly P400,000 to three consultants whose services he reportedly acquired illegally in 2005.

In a two-page complaint he filed last March 14, former councilor Pablo Cabrera Sr. alleged that Vicencio’s disbursement of P384,980 for the consultancy services of Marvin Amiana, Rodolfo delos Santos and Jennifer Catindig – who were also named as respondents in the case – was illegal because he was not authorized by the city council or the mayor to hire consultants.

Cabrera also noted that last Feb. 15, the Commission on Audit (COA) directed Vicencio to “refund” the consultancy fees paid to the three consultants.

Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, in a two-page order dated May 14, directed the respondents to answer the accusation within 10 days upon receipt of the document.

Amiana, now chief of staff of the Office of the Vice Mayor, told The STAR Friday that they only received the Ombudsman’s order last May 22.

“Cabrera filed the same argument with a different title in 2006 but the Ombudsman dismissed the charges,” Amiana said.

He said that he could not comment on the COA’s case since they have already elevated it to the Supreme Court.

“We duly rendered services and for that we were paid by the government. The vice mayor hired us for the job in good faith. Cabrera only wanted to besmirch the good name of the vice mayor through malicious prosecution,” he said.