Ex-Isabela mayor gets 6 years for graft

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Philippines – The Sandiganbayan has sentenced to six to eight years in prison a former municipal mayor of Isabela for the anomalous award of a P2.5-million contract for a road concreting project in 2008.

Convicted of graft were former Luna town mayor Manuel Tio and ex-municipal accountant Lolita Cadiz. They were also ordered perpetually disqualified from holding public office.

Tio also figured in a shabu laboratory raid last October.

In a 30-page resolution promulgated on Nov. 30, the Sandiganbayan Third Division said “the prosecution was able to prove beyond reasonable doubt” that the respondents gave unwarranted benefit and advantage to sand supplier Double A Gravel and Sand, whose owner was a relative of Tio’s, when it awarded the contract without public bidding.

In the resolution penned by Associate Justice Sarah Jane Fernandez, the court said Tio and Cadiz also acted with gross inexcusable negligence in causing the payment of P2.5 million to Double A despite incomplete supporting documents.

The anti-graft court did not give weight to Tio’s defense that Double A was the sole supplier willing to provide the materials on credit since there was no public bidding conducted. The court further pointed out that Tio’s camp failed to present a witness to prove his claim.

Tio figured in the raid of the “mega” shabu laboratory in Cauayan City last October where two alleged Chinese drug lords were killed in a shootout with authorities.

Tio is the owner of the warehouse used by the two slain suspects.