By EUGENE ADIONG
BACOLOD City — Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. and two other provincial government officials are facing charges in connection with the capitol’s purchase of a 155-hectare land in Hacienda Ilimnan, Brgy. Sta. Rosa, Murcia town, for the Negros First Ranch.
Bacolod lawyer Roger Reyes filed a complaint with the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman Visayas against them for alleged violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, Building Code of the Philippines and Government Procurement Reform Act, and for technical malversation.
Provincial Treasurer Nilda Generoso and Provincial Engineer Ernie Mapa were also named as respondents in the complaint, which the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman received on May 15.
In the complaint, Reyes said Marañon signed and executed a deed of absolute sale acquiring the Sta. Rosa property for P41.2 million, while Generoso released the amount. After which, he said, Mapa built P10 million worth of improvements on the lot.
Reyes said the purchase was null and void because the property was not exempted from the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
He said no Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) clearance was issued to legalize the sale and transfer of ownership of the property, composed of three agricultural lots, in favor of the provincial government.
Reyes said Generoso paid the registered property owner even though the titles have not yet been transferred to the provincial government.
And in spite of this, Mapa built structures on it, he said. “The disbursement of funds for the construction … constitutes technical malversation,” he said, adding that Mapa also failed to secure building permits. He also claimed that no public bidding was conducted for the property purchase.
Marañon said he has not yet received a copy of the complaint. He believes the case was politically motivated.
He said the property was not yet covered by CARP when the capitol bought it, citing word they got from DAR. “They (DAR) issued a notice of coverage only after the capitol bought the property,” he said.
“We did not violate any law. The purchase was approved by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan and (the property) was within fair market value,” he said, adding that there was no bidding because “there was an offer to sell by the owner.”/PN
