Vizcaya municipal treasurer, engineer arrested for graft

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya — The municipal treasurer and an engineer of the mountainous town of Alfonso Castañeda were arrested this week by elements of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in connection with a graft case against them before the Sandiganbayan.

However, former mayor Alvaro Aquisan of Alfonso Castañeda and project contractor Kimaron Gomez, both respondents in another graft case, remain at large.

Aquisan and Gomez were not at their residences when CIDG agents came to serve the Sandiganbayan’s arrest order.

Municipal engineer Eduard Javate and treasurer Corazon Sumawang have been released after posting P40,000 bail each.

Senior Inspector Ronald Tigue, the local CIDG chief, said the respondents were accused of having conspired in certifying the 100-percent completion of a government-funded project in 1998.

The Commission on Audit, however, found out later that the project involving the construction of flood control riprap walls, was only 80.99-percent complete.

Because of the alleged irregularity, the government was said to have suffered "undue injury" because the contractor was overpaid by P555,560.71.

Sumawang and Aquisan, meanwhile, were accused of making "double" cash advances of P38,432.54 and P38,182.50 supposedly for construction materials although there was only one project, the building of a public stage. — Charlie Lagasca