CEBU, Philippines - Two barangay officials who allegedly acted as brokers are facing charges before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas.
Raul Laurente of San Vicente Village, Barangay Subangdaku, Mandaue City filed a complaint for conduct unbecoming of public officials and violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act against Barangay Babag, Lapu-lapu City Captain Elias Berdin and Councilman Jun Ybañez.
Laurente said the two respondents acted as broker and tried to sell his lot in Barangay Babag, Lapu-lapu City with an area of 20,844 square meters.
Laurente said he received a call from a certain Roger introducing himself and saying that he was interested to buy Laurente’s property.
He added that he received a call from Ybañez, who allegedly offered to sell his lot to a prospective buyer at P750 per square meter.
Laurente, however, refused as his price for the property is P1,000 per square meter.
Moreover, he said, on several dates from June to August he received several text messages from Berdin negotiating for him to sell his lot at P750 per square meter.
“Berdin allegedly negotiated personally P150 per square meter on top of the P750 per square meter bid price to a prospective buyer,” he said. — (FREEMAN)