Isabela town vice mayor, 17 b’gay execs face graft raps

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Philippines – The Sandiganbayan has ordered the suspension for 90 days of the vice mayor of Jones, Isabela and 17 barangay  chairmen for signing the delivery receipts of 21 vans that had not been released to them.

The suspension order against Vice Mayor Florante Raspado and 17 village chairmen is effective Dec. 8.

Raspado was the town mayor when the Isabela provincial government bought the vans worth around P7.5 million in 2003.

He admitted that he and the other respondents signed the memorandum receipts even though the vehicles had not been delivered to them. He said the MRs were asked by the staff of the late Isabela congressman Antonio Abaya to “expedite” its approval and delivery.

Not a single van had been delivered up to this day, the former mayor said.