Basilan mayor dismissed over unfinished project

MANILA, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the dismissal of the mayor of a town in Basilan in connection with an unfinished water supply project.

In a decision recently signed by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, Darussalam Lajid, mayor of Al-Barka, Basilan, was found guilty of gross neglect of duty for failing to complete a potable water project under the Bottom-up Budgeting in 2014, amounting to P4.275 million.

The ombudsman also ordered Lajid’s perpetual disqualification from holding public office and forfeiture of his retirement benefits.

Lajid’s co-accused, municipal accountant Edgardo Chiong, engineer Al-Shid Abdulmajid, treasurer Nasser Asarul and clerk Zaidee Jakilan were meted the same penalties.

The ombudsman said P1.758 million was initially released for the program, but the check covering the second tranche of the allocation was not presented for payment after it lapsed and reverted to the treasury.

“(The respondents) failed to offer any explanation why the funds…reverted… when they could have utilized the same to continue the project,” the ombudsman ruling read.

The ombudsman dismissed the claim of the defendants that the project was not completed due to the peace and order situation in the region.

Malversation raps

Meanwhile, Dante Torres, the incumbent mayor of Guagua, Pampanga, was charged with malversation over the  alleged illegal use of municipal funds for the renovation of a public park in 2014.

Based on the complaint, Torres disbursed P2.76 million to cover  the expenses incurred in upgrading and rehabilitating Manuel P. Santiago Park.

Graft investigation and prosecution officer Sergio Duke Villar said the money was intended for the rehabilitation of the monument of playwright Aurelio Tolentino and purchase and repair of heavy equipment.

The ombudsman set the bail at P6,000.