Ex-mayors of Angeles and Bacolod charged with graft

MANILA, Philippines – The Office of the Ombudsman has filed multiple counts of graft before the Sandiganbayan against former Bacolod City Mayor Luzviminda S. Valdez and former Angeles City Mayor Francis L. Nepomuceno for engaging in anomalous deals when their respective terms were about to end.

Valdez is accused of defrauding the city government of Bacolod in Negros Occidental when she used falsified receipts reflecting padded amounts in her liquidation reports in 2004. She was mayor from 2001 to 2004.

When state auditors retrieved records of the city’s Mobile Health Clinic program, they discovered that Valdez tampered pharmacy receipts to show that an item that cost only P9.20 was P30,920, and another item that cost P65 was P50,065.00.

Another receipt for P95.25 under the Barangay Health Program was tampered to reflect the amount of P68,095.25.

Valdez’s padded tampered receipts

Valdez also padded the amounts in receipts for meals, the auditors found out. While spending only P510 at the Sta. Fe Resort and Restaurant, based on the original cash slip, she filed a receipt that reflected P19,350.

In the mayor’s liquidation report on meals and accommodations in the same resort, she indicated total expenss of P135,000 when the amount paid was only P3,253.

Valdez was indicted on 4 counts each of graft and malversation of public funds.

Prosecutors recommended that the former mayor be held without bail on 3 of the 4 malversation charges. Article 217 (4) of the Revised Penal Code sets the maximum penalty of reclusion perpetua when the amount involved is higher than P22,000.

Nepomuceno’s car donation

Former mayor Nepomuceno is accused of causing undue injury to the city government of Angeles in Pampanga when he approved the donation of a Mitsubishi Adventure to his political supporter in June 2010. Nepomuceno was mayor from 2007 to 2010.

The car, worth P785,000, was allegedly given to Abelardo Pamintuan Jr, a private citizen who headed the Kapanalig Angeles City, an organization that supported Nepomuceno in the elections.

A primary witness for the government in the case is the current mayor, Edgardo Pamintuan.

A bail bond of P30,000 for each of the two counts of graft has been recommended for Nepomuceno. – Rappler.com