Suspended Cebu mayor charged with graft

MANILA, Philippines — The mayor of Toledo City in Cebu is facing graft charges for allegedly withholding the real property tax share of a barangay.

John Osmeña was recently indicted for six counts of graft.

Osmeña had been earlier suspended for one year by the Office of the Ombudsman after he was found guilty of grave misconduct in connection with the case.

Based on the charge sheet prepared by assistant special prosecutor Jorge Espinal, Osmeña did not release the real property tax share of Barangay Daanlungsod in the last two quarters of 2014 and the entire 2015 amounting to P17,733,264.

The ombudsman said Osmeña witheld the tax share  “without basis or sufficient justification and in the absence of a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction issued by a court.”

Aside from causing undue injury to Barangay Daanlungsod, the ombudsman said Osmeña’s action violated Section 271 (d) of Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Code.

Under the law, a barangay’s share of the city’s real property tax “shall be released without need of any further action... to the barangay treasurer on a quarterly basis within five days after the end of each quarter and shall not be subject to any lien or holdback for whatever purpose.”

A bail of P180,000 was recommended.