Agusan mayor, municipal engineer face graft raps

BUTUAN CITY ,Philippines  – The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the filing of graft charges against Tubay, Agusan del Norte Mayor Sadeka Garcia-Tomaneng and municipal engineer Christopher Noval Dagani for illegally demolishing two houses.

In an 18-page resolution signed by graft investigator and prosecution officer Aileen Lourdes Lizada, the Ombudsman found probable cause to indict Tomaneng and Dagani for the demolition of two houses in Lungsod Daan, Barangay Poblacion 2 and Barangay La Fraternidad on May 2, 2011.

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales approved the resolution, which was also signed by Ombudsman for Mindanao Humprey Monteroso.

The case stemmed from the complaints of Luciano Selades Jr. and Johnny Cabalan that a local government team illegally demolished their houses.

Tomaneng claimed the demolition of the houses would pave the way for development in the area as well as remove the breeding places of dengue-carrying mosquitoes.

Selades and Cabalan, however, complained that their houses were singled out. They filed grave coercion charges and an administrative case against Tomaneng, Dagani and eight municipal contractual workers – Arnel Lunasin, Junipher Luison, Eduardo Garma, Felipe Monares, Percival Dingding, Leomar Lamboyog, Marconi Luyahan and a certain Zacarias Kayas – for the demolition of their houses.

The Ombudsman, however, dismissed the charges against the eight workers, citing a Tubay police report which stated that the demolition did not specify whether the houses were demolished with the use of force, intimidation or coercion.

Tomaneng and Dagani had reportedly filed a motion for reconsideration of the Ombudsman ruling.