Pangasinan mayor faces raps anew for falsifying marriage certificate

MANILA, Philippines — Mayor Artemio Chan of Pozzorubio, Pangasinan is facing another legal battle for signing a marriage certificate even though he did not officiate at the wedding.

The Office of the Ombudsman filed charges against Chan for falsification of public documents under Article 171 of the Revised Penal Code.

Based on the charge sheet prepared by graft investigation and prosecution officer Maria Viviane Cacho-Calicdan, Chan signed the marriage certificate of Andy dela Rosa and Mary Jane Jovellanos who wed at the town hall on March 26, 2015.

Graft probers said Chan’s son, Kelvin, who was vice mayor at the time, officiated at the wedding.

The ombudsman recommended bail of P24,000.

The ombudsman ordered the dismissal of Chan last year for signing the marriage certificate of another couple whose wedding on March 14, 2016 was officiated by a casual employee of the municipal government.

The penalty was later downgraded to a suspension for nine months.

The ombudsman also suspended the municipal employee, Daniel Sarmiento Jr., for conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.