A TAWI-TAWI mayor is facing charges of serious dishonesty, gross neglect of duty, and falsification of documents before the Office of the Ombudsman.
Sitangkai Mayor Serbin Ahaja is facing charges filed by the Anti-Trapo Movement for allegedly allowing the implementation of “substandard” infrastructure projects.
In a three-page complaint, the group alleged the “rampant use of substandard materials” and incomplete delivery of infrastructure projects, and falsification of accomplishment reports involving the 20 percent appropriation for development projects under the Local Government Code, Section 287 and its implementing rules under the Department of the Interior and Local Government and Department of Budget and Management Joint Circular No. 2011-1, which took effect on or after April 13, 2011.
The movement, represented by Leon Peralta, said local officials must be held responsible for failure to ensure optimal utilization of development funds.
Vice Mayor Tiblan Ahaja, the presiding officer, and the town’s eight councilors as well as several project contractors were included in the charge sheet.
“Development projects were made to appear complete in accomplishment reports,” the anti-corruption watchdog said.
Curiously, Ahaja was named as one of the “10 Outstanding Public Servants” in the Muslim autonomous region during the 109th anniversary of the Philippine Civil Service in 2009, receiving the award at the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex in Cotabato City in Mindanao Island.
The award was also the first for the municipality of Sitangkai.
Shashtri Buddin, the director of the Civil Service Commission in Tawi-Tawi province, said at the time that Ahaja was chosen for his distinguished achievements and important accomplishments in Sitangkai.
Officials citing good governance and excellent civil service said Ahaja has worked for various projects in his town including the reclassification of the Sitangkai from 2nd class to 1st class municipality.
Ahaja also led the creation of 13 new villages in 2008 after Sitangkai’s separation from Sibutu Island. He had finished several infrastructure projects to include the improvement of Sitangkai Community Hospital.
