Mayor rapped for estafa, fake document

MANILA, Philippines — The mayor of Pakil town in Laguna and three other persons are facing criminal charges for allegedly using a fake special allotment release order (SARO) to dupe contractors of a government road project, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said Friday.

Mayor Vipops Martinez will be charged for violating Articles 315 and 172 of the Revised Penal Code, which penalize syndicated estafa and falsification of public documents, respectively.

The NBI said similar charges would be filed against Jay Carreon, Christine Joy Angelica Gonzales, a certain Col. Militar and Ryan.    

Gonzales was nabbed in an entrapment in Quezon City last Thursday, while the others have yet to be arrested, NBI agents Manny Eduarte and Arnold Rosales said.

The case stemmed from a complaint filed by Ariel Garcia and Irene Simbulan, who reportedly paid P1.1 million in cash for two projects worth P70 million.

The complainants said Militar and a certain Ryan informed them last year that Martinez was looking for a financier for his projects.

The suspects introduced Simbulan to Carreon, a godson of Martinez, and then to the mayor.

Carreon reportedly introduced Simbulan to Gonzales, who claimed she knew people at the Budget department who could help them hasten the release of the SARO.

“Gonzales called Simbulan in December, telling her the DBM has released the SARO for the first project,” the NBI said. 

The group showed Martinez a copy of the fake SARO and Simbulan reportedly gave P100,000 to the mayor, based on Carreon’s instruction.

In January, Martinez and the accused informed the complainants about the second project and reportedly demanded P3 million from the contractors.

The contractors discovered that the SARO was fake, prompting them to seek help from the NBI.