BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — Former mayor Luis “Chavit” Singson of Narvacan, Ilocos Sur and 12 other town officials were charged with plunder and graft before the Office of the Ombudsman yesterday.
In the complaint filed by civic group Warriors ti Narvacan, lawyer Estelita Cordero alleged that Singson, former vice mayor Pablito Sanidad Sr., 10 town councilors and municipal assessor Arlene Debina bought in 2019 an overpriced property that would be dedicated for the town’s public market.
Cordero claimed that the property was bought for P149.96 million, when its actual value was only P49.98 million, from Western Textile Mills. She said the deal caused the public to lose nearly P100 million.
In a separate complaint, Cordero accused Singson, former Philippine Tourism Authority chief Robert Dean Barbers, a provincial environment official and several other council members of violating land and environmental laws.
Singson denied the allegations, saying it was part of “a desperate diversionary tactic and renewed smear campaign orchestrated by political detractors.”
“The accusations are completely devoid of truth and fact,” Singson said.
He claimed that he bought the 10-hectare property, which he sold to the municipal government for only P120 million. He added that at the time of the sale, the lot had a fair market value of P8,000 per square meter, or about P800 million in total.
“This transaction resulted in a substantial act of assistance, not an attempt to profit or plunder. My sole intent was to sincerely help our municipality,” Singson said, claiming that the property’s value has since risen to about P2 billion.
Singson said the complaints were tainted with personal and political motives, as he identified Cordero as a cousin of a political rival in Narvacan.
He claimed that Cordero had repeatedly solicited money from him and that he refused her recent request to buy her “hotel resort” for P20 million.
Singson said the property turned out to be “a small residential home with two cramped rooms.”
“Her subsequent anger led directly to the filing of this fabricated plunder charge,” Singson said.
He urged the Office of the Ombudsman to review the case thoroughly and act on an earlier complaint he filed against Cordero’s relative.
“I remain committed to transparency and will cooperate fully to expose this complaint as the political deception it truly is,” Singson said.