THE Office of the Ombudsman indicted on Tuesday a former mayor of Sta. Monica, Surigao del Norte for graft raps for irregularities in the disbursement of funds for a P980,000 core shelter assistance project in 2010.
Charged was ex-mayor Rosalinda Penera before the Sandiganbayan.
Included in the charge sheet were municipal officials Dianette Evangelista, Aurea Menil, Gilbert Dagcuta and Lei Amor Laplana as well as private individual, Rodolfo Arlan.
The case arose when Penera and company approved and facilitated the purchase of a parcel of land from Arlan in 2010 for the core shelter project.
Documents showed the purchase was made without prior authorization from the municipal board members and in the absence of an appropriation ordinance.
“Public respondents manifested gross inexcusable negligence from the processing of the disbursements of funds as they should have known of the irregularities of the purchase transaction as per their functions. Despite this, they still pursued the transaction, thereby giving unwarranted benefits to Arlan,” the resolution read.
“In addition, conspiracy can be inferred from the respondents’ respective participation in the purchase transaction as they aimed their acts towards the accomplishment of the same unlawful object.”
In the related administrative case, Menil, Evangelista, Dagcuta and Laplana were found guilty of grave misconduct and ordered dismissed from the service.
They were also meted out the accessory penalties of perpetual disqualification from holding public office and cancellation of eligibility.