Graft complaint lodged against Laguna mayor

Calamba, Laguna , Philippines  – Mayor Joaquin Chipeco Jr. and two former acting treasurers of the locality are now facing a graft complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly placing P555 million of the city’s funds in a time deposit account in 2008, which prevented them from using the money to help residents during a typhoid outbreak the same year.

Complainants Carlito Llave, Celia Meneses, Marissa Gamutin, Editha Pua, Joselina Gravillas, Rolando de los Santos, Dr. Severino Vergara, and lawyer Edgardo Abinales also accused the local chief executive and former acting treasurers Ofelia Oliva and Cesar Separa for violating the Local Government Code (LGC) and a Commission on Audit (COA) rule.

They alleged that the placing of the P555 million of the city government’s funds under its General Fund and Special Education Fund, in a time deposit with three separate government banks, prevented the city from designating a calamity fund in February 2008, when a typhoid outbreak hit the city that killed many Calamba residents.

In their 18-page complaint filed with the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for Luzon, they cited a COA report dated March 7, 2008 which noted the questionable time deposit of funds which it noted did not fall in the category of “idle funds.”

“As of Feb. 20, 2008, the total balance left for disbursement for regular operation is P113,334,541.01 which is insufficient to cover all mandatory obligations and liabilities as enumerated above, as well as checks which remained outstanding as of Feb. 20, 2008,” the document cited allegedly read.