Surigao mayor faces graft raps

MANILA, Philippines – The Office of the Ombudsman is set to file charges against a town mayor in Surigao del Sur for using construction materials owned by the municipal government to build his private resort.

In a seven-page resolution issued on Friday, ombudsman probers said they found probable cause to indict Tago Mayor Rogelio Pimentel and barangay chairman Herminigildo Reyes for malversation and violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Records show that Barangay Unaban received 286 sacks of cement and 280 steel bars from the office of the provincial agriculturist in December 2013 to build a solar dryer.

In January 2014, Pimentel took the construction materials with Reyes’ consent and used them to build his resort.

In his defense, Pimentel said he took the construction materials so it would not be destroyed by an impending flood, adding that he replaced them.

“He opted to utilize the materials for personal purposes despite the fact that (they) were public properties. The attendance of bad faith, manifest partiality or gross inexcusable negligence is apparent in respondent’s blatant disregard for the rules concerning the use of public properties,” the ombudsman said.