Sandiganbayan suspends solon, 3 local execs over graft raps

MANILA, Philippines - The Sandiganbayan has suspended a congresswoman from Zamboanga del Sur and local executives of Bacolod City, Quezon and La Union provinces for graft charges in connection with the purchase of alleged overpriced medical supplies, fogging chemicals and computers.

 

Zamboanga del Sur Rep. Aurora Enerio-Cerilles is facing charges before the anti-graft court for the purchase of allegedly overpriced medical supplies in 2001 amounting to nearly P7 million. 

 

The charges against Bacolod Mayor Monico Puentevella involve the anomalous used of his Priority Development Assistance Fund amounting to P26 million to buy overpriced computer packages for public schools in the city. The computer package was reportedly bought at P400,000 each. 

 

Mayor Pepito Reyes of Perez, Quezon is undergoing trial for allowing his brother to operate a cockpit, while Vice Mayor Dante Garcia of Tubao, La Union is facing charges for the purchase of allegedly overpriced fogging chemicals and chlorine without public bidding. 

 

In four separate resolutions, the Sandiganbayan ordered Puentevella, Reyes, and Garcia to cease and desist from performing their present government functions for a period of 90 days, while Cerilles was preventively suspended for 60 days. 

 

Ombudsman prosecutors maintained under the law,  an incumbent public official facing charges should be suspended from his office pending a criminal prosecution.  

 

"The suspension of a public officer charged with an offense ...is but a fortification of the principle that public office is a public trust... they must at all times, be accountable to the people in the fulfillment of their duties," the tribunal said.

 

In a separate criminal case, the Sandiganbayan also ordered the suspension for 90 days of Court Interpreter II Candelaria Mangulabnan of the Municipal Trial Court in Cities, San Fernando, Pampanga. 

 

Mangulabnan is facing a direct bribery charge.