Pangasinan mayor charged with graft over illegal rental deal

Lian Buan

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Pangasinan mayor charged with graft over illegal rental deal
Prosecutors say Anda Mayor Aldrin Cerdan 'willfully, unlawfully and criminally' rented out the town's equipment to JASA Builders and gave the company 'unwarranted benefits, advantage and preference'

MANILA, Philippines – Mayor Aldrin Cerdan of Anda, Pangasinan, was charged with graft before the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan for an alleged anomalous deal involving the rental of municipal government equipment.

In the information submitted to Sandiganbayan on January 6 but released to the media on Tuesday, January 10, prosecutors found evidence that Cerdan committed partiality and gross negligence for renting out the municipality’s backhoe, payloader, and dump trucks without authorization.

By allowing the rental of the equipment to JASA Builders for P100,000 without seeking prior authorization from the Sangguniang Bayan of Anda, prosecutors said Cerdan violated Section 22(c) of the Local Government Code which states that “no contract may be entered into by the local chief executive in behalf of the local government unit without prior authorization by the sanggunian concerned.”

Cerdan, prosecutors said, ”willfully, unlawfully and criminally” rented out the equipment to JASA Builders and gave the company “unwarranted benefits, advantage and preference.”

Bail was recommended at P30,000.

Cerdan, who was re-elected Anda mayor in May 2016, entered into the rental deal in 2012. 

Cerdan has yet to respond to Rappler’s text messages seeking his comment, as of posting. – Rappler.com

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Lian Buan

Lian Buan is a senior investigative reporter, and minder of Rappler's justice, human rights and crime cluster.