Lamitan City execs file charges against each other

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - A legal battle between two top executives of Lamitan City, Basilan brewed after party mates of President Benigno Aquino III lodged graft charges against each other.

Mayor Roderick Furigay formally filed charges against Vice Mayor Arleigh Eisma before the Office of the Ombudsman for graft and corrupt practices.

The case stemmed from Eisma's alleged excessive use of funds for acquisition of gasoline amounting to P1.4 million within five months, Furigay said.

Eisma earlier accused Furigay of allegedly tampering the budget for 2012.

Furigay, however, dismissed Eisma’s charges, describing it all as lies, citing that there was no alteration of the city’s 2012 budget.

“What they did to me was harassment only and this (case he filed) is the real thing,” Furigay said of his charges against Eisma.

In a nine-page affidavit of complaint filed before the Ombudsman on Jan. 28, Furigay, accompanied by his lawyer Quirino Esguerra, slapped Eisma with four charges: violation of Republic Act 3019 otherwise known as Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act; RA 9184 or Government Procurement Reform Act; Local Government Code of RA 7160; and Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials Employees of RA 6713.

“This is all about his gasoline consumption, where for five months he was able to consume P1,409,994...” Esguerra said in a press briefing here.

Esguerra said that on Nov. 26 alone, Eisma issued a check in the name of his gasoline station. 

“He signed the check, encashed the check under his account, and deposit the check under his name,” he said.

Furigay and Esguerra showed the more than five kilograms of documentary evidence attached with affidavit of complaint against Eisma.

Furigay said the invoices made by the gasoline station would reveal that its proprietor is Arleigh Eisma with goods sold to the office of the vice mayor.

He said the driver’s daily trip ticket also indicates that the approving officer is Eisma.

“All in all, Vice Mayor Eisma caused significant injury to the government specifically the city of Lamitan because he has a pecuniary interest over his own gas station,” Furigay said.

He said there was no bidding conducted despite their place having at least four gasoline stations and his gasoline station was disqualified to join the procurement bidding.

The mayor said they have not issued Eisma of any government vehicle after he turned down the offer.

Furigay said if they were to assess the monthly gasoline allocation of the office of the vice mayor, it would be P270,000 or more or less 200 liters a day including Saturdays and Sundays to consume the gasoline every day.

“Meaning, even if you travel entire Mindanao you can not consume it all. How he use it is another question,” he added. 

Furigay said the gasoline allocation for the office of the vice mayor last year is P3.4 million.

“This is a unique case, he bought gasoline from his own gasoline station. If you look at the annexes, this is about 5 kilos, these are all receipts,” Esguerra said.

Esguerra said based on their documentary evidence, Eisma consumed for November alone some P560,231.70 pesos in one transaction.

Furigay also assailed his legal move was not to exact retaliation but to serve as lesson for government officials who are not doing their work. 

“This is not a matter of retaliation but this is the real thing,” Furigay said.

Eisma was not immediately available for comment.