BY PRINCE GOLEZ
Manila Reporter
MANILA – The former mayor of Lemery, Iloilo and six others face criminal charges for malversation of public funds thru the falsification of public documents.
The Office of the Ombudsman found probable cause to charge former mayor Mildred Arban-Chavez; Limwel Arban, Chavez’s former secretary; Riza Lee Candelario, municipal accountant; Isidro Parica, municipal budget officer; Melanie Peniero, office-in-charge municipal treasurer; Pelcy Galino, teacher I; and Freddie Cuarte.
The case was about the P150,000 allegedly used for Lemery’s annual festival, the Saug Festival in 2008.
“Upon referral to the Commission on Audit (COA) Regional Office No. VI for special examination, it was determined that the breakdown of transactions covered the following: P21,000 payment to Galino for rental of tables, chairs and curtains from Lemery National High School (LNHS); P37,000 payment to Cuarte for rental of video camera; and P18,000 payment to a certain Ramie Belarga for rental of generator set,” said the Ombudsman.
Cuarte denied having rented out his video camera but admitted he signed a liquidation voucher amounting to P37,000.
LNHS’s principal also denied they rented out their school facilities for P21,000.
The said amount was used to buy food, said the principal, adding that the school received a total of P58,000 from the local government unit of Lemery.
COA, in April 2009, issued a Credit Notice to local government officials stating that P132,000 and P18,000 of the total “cash advance” was “suspended” and “disallowed,” respectively./PN
