Veem, councilors charge mayor before Ombudsman
FOR ALLEGED CORRUPTION
BAYAMBANG—The town’s mayor is the subject of two separate complaints filed with the Office of the Ombudsman by the vice mayor and five councilors, and a businessman.
Mayor Ricardo Camacho has been charged for violating Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees and Malversation under Article 217 of the Revised Penal Code, specifically for the purchase of a P380,000 prior-owned Toyota Granvia without public bidding and authority from the municipal council for the mayor to purchase it.
The affidavit complaint signed by Vice Mayor Mylvin Junio and Municipal Councilors Raul Sabangan, Allan de Vera, Gerardo Flores, Joseph Vincent Ramos and Levin Uy was filed last April 15, 2015.
In another complaint filed at the Ombudsman on April 20 by businessman Cezar Quiambao, president and chief executive officer of Stradcom Corporation and resident here, Camacho was also accused of violating Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees for committing fraud against the public treasury and similar offense under Article 213 of the Revised Penal Code and falsification by public officer under Article 171 of the Revised Penal Code.
Specifically, Mr. Camacho was accused of charging the cost of barbecue grills that were donated by a businessman to the municipal coffers.
“Even assuming that the act of the respondent in purchasing the said vehicle falls within the exceptions to conduct a public bidding, it still violated Section 367 of R.A. No. 7160, since it is more than P150,000 or beyond the said section allowed to purchase a personal canvass for the municipality of Bayambang,” the complaint said.
It added, ” However, all of us know that he is using the van for his personal use. All the time, he has made us believe that it was his money with which he purchased the same,” Uy told local reporters.
Uy said Quiambao donated P4,640,000 for the 8,000 pieces of barbecue grills to hold the longest barbecue Guinness successful bid of the town in 2014.
“However, at the back of the donation, it appeared that our own Mayor had reported to the COA (Commission on Audit) that our town had spent and paid P1,877,301.35 for the grills, when in truth and in fact all the grills had been fully paid by Mr. Quiambao,” Uy said.
Junio and the councillors said in a press conference in Dagupan City that there is no politics involved as they only wanted transparency and accountability in using public funds.
The PUNCH tried to get Mr. Camacho’s reaction through text and calls to his cellular phone but efforts proved futile. (Tita Roces)
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