CEBU, Philippines – Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza’s suspension did not come surprising for her political nemesis Efrain Pelaez Jr., but the latter is asking why the mayor was meted with only a three-month suspension.
Pelaez, who is among Radaza’s four opponents in the mayoral contest in 2016, plans to send a letter to the Sandiganbayan to push for the extension of the preventive suspension.
He cited the cases of former Cebu governor Gwen Garcia (2012), Dumanjug, Cebu Mayor Nelson Garcia (March this year) and Makati City Mayor Junjun Binay (July this year), who were all ordered suspended for six months.
(Previous reports on The FREEMAN indicated that the three personalities were suspended by three separate agencies: Gwen by the Department of Interior and Local Government, Nelson by the Cebu Provincial Board, and Binay by the Office of the Ombudsman.)
The Sandiganbayan suspended Radaza and three other officials over their alleged involvement in the misuse of P15 million worth of pork barrel funds of then Cebu fourth district representative Clavel Asas-Martinez.
PB Member Celestino “Tining” Martinez III and Bogo City Councilors Rhett Minguez and Cresencio Verdida were also suspended. Tining served as the mayor in 2002, during which the alleged misuse took place, while Minguez and Verdida were then the municipal treasurer and accountant, respectively.
The Office of the Ombudsman first filed in July last year two counts of criminal charges for malversation of public funds under Article 217 of the Revised Penal Code and another two for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act against the four officials, as well as against Clavel.
The anti-graft body affirmed that the respondents connived in misusing P15 million in public funds from Clavel’s Priority Development Assistance Fund in 2002, originally intended for the Girl Scouts of the Philippine for its anti-drugs campaign.
However, the Ombudsman found out that only P600,000 of the P15 million was spent for the said purpose and the bulk withdrawn by the former lawmaker from the GSP-Cebu Council treasury.
At that time, Radaza served as the council’s president.
The transactions, it was learned, neither appeared in the Monthly Financial Report of the GSP in Cebu City nor were they pre-audited by the internal auditor.
In a press conference he called yesterday, Pelaez also recalled the other graft charges pressed against Radaza.
In 2009, he said, the mayor was also allegedly involved in the creation of P2.6 billion worth of fictitious loans during her incumbency at the now-defunct Rural Bank of Subangdaku.
He added that Radaza was also implicated in the alleged P12 million overpricing of 470 computer units in 2005 during the term of her husband, former Lapu-Lapu City mayor Arturo “Boy” Radaza.
As of yesterday, Radaza’s camp remained almost tight-lipped amid the development of the Sandiganbayan case, only saying it has yet to receive copy of the order.
“We will respond to it in due time. If there is, it is not a penalty but merely a preventive suspension,” said Radaza’s spokesman Jonji Gonzales over the weekend.
Gonzales said since Radaza is no longer connected with GSP, it will be unlikely for her to influence witnesses to or evidence in the case.
“That is why she (was) surprised of talks about a preventive suspension. Clearly, this case has got nothing to do with her official functions as a mayor,” he added.
In the race to the mayoralty post next year, Pelaez is set to challenge Radaza for the third time. Also competing for the position are Engineer Rolando Patalinjug, former Punta Engaño barangay captain Angel Rodriguez, and Prospero Imbong Cabahug. (FREEMAN)