The Sandiganbayan’s Second Division has said the trial of former mayor Filemon Galsim of Santa Cruz, Occidental Mindoro in connection with the alleged overpriced lot contract sealed in 2012 will proceed.
In a resolution promulgated on Wednesday, the anti-graft court division denied for “lack of merit” the appeal of Galsim to dismiss his case.
Galsim is accused of graft for alleged violation of Section 3(g) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act when he sealed a contract, in behalf of the local government, with a certain Teresita Asis Mercene for a 2,123-square-meter lot in Barangay Poblacion II.
The Ombudsman said the lot owned by Mercene was overpriced by P260,492.10, and thus “manifestly and grossly disadvantageous to the government.”
It said the lot was purchased for P702.70 per square meter, or a total amount of P1.49 million when the prevailing market value then under Sangguniang Panlungsod Resolution 43 was only at a fixed price of P580 per square meter.
Galsim disputed the allegation.
But the Sandiganbayan stood by its decision against Galsim. “The court finds that the above-mentioned averments sufficiently charge the offense of violation of Section 3(g) of R.A. 3019. They contain all the elements constituting the violation,” the resolution read.
Division chairperson Associate Justice Oscar Herrera Jr. authored the resolution, with the concurrence of Associate Justices Michael Frederick Musngi and Lorifel Pahimna.