Nueva Ecija mayor faces graft raps

MANILA, Philippines - For allegedly refusing to increase the salaries of town officials and employees, a mayor of Nueva Ecija is facing charges of grave misconduct before the Office of the Ombudsman.

At least seven councilors of Aliaga town filed on Monday a five-page complaint, which also accuses Mayor Marcial Vargas of usurpation of legislative functions.

Councilors Cesar Cajucom, Juanita de Leon, Juanito Martin, Albert Bumanlag, Lourdes Celestino, Almario Bernabe and Melody Vegiga said Vargas violated a circular of the Department of Budget and Management issued on July 2008, which authorizes the town to adopt salary schedules.

The Sangguniang Bayan passed a resolution on March 2009 declaring Aliaga town as a first class municipality based on increase in income and financial capability.

The complainants said Vargas also refused to implement a budget ordinance passed by the council.

“Instead of implementing the salaries of the officials and employees of the municipality of Aliaga in accordance with a higher salary schedule for a first class municipality, the respondent directed, implemented and enforced the compensation in accordance with the basic salary appearing in the salary schedule for a second class municipality,” Cajucom, chairman of the committee on finance, budget and appropriation, said. 

The councilors also informed the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for Luzon of their withdrawal of support to the mayor and his wife Elizabeth, the town’s vice mayor.

The parish priest of Aliaga’s Nuestra Señora Delas Saleras also wrote a letter to Commission on Audit Commissioner Heidi Mendoza urging her to authorize the town’s resident auditor to check the town’s financial records.