COUNCILOR IN LAGUNA FILES PLUNDER, GRAFT COMPLAINTS VS SAN PEDRO MAYOR, ET AL

A COUNCILOR in San Pedro City, Laguna filed plunder and graft charges before the Office of the Ombudsman against their mayor, vice mayor and other elected officials of the city.

Named respondents in the complaint were  Mayor Art Francis Joseph Mercado, Vice Mayor Divina Olivarez, and other city councilors, and city executives.

San Pedro City councilor Carlon “Lonlon” Ambayec on Thursday filed the complaint  before the Office of the Ombudsman for alleged violation of Republic Act 7080 or plunder, and Republic Act 3019 or Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Ambayec accused Mercado and nine other elected officials and city executives of authorizing the purchase of a 12,274 square-meter property land amounting to P73,644,000 in Bgy. Laram, San Pedro City without the proper legal proceedings. 

The complainant said the property worth more than P70 million was allegedly overpriced and there are informal settlers in the area.

Ambayec explained that when a government buys a property, a relocation plan shall be provided to the informal settlers. 

“I did not sign their resolution because it was the people or the taxpayers’ money that they would use. They said the lot will be for government’s various future projects. That’s a ridiculously huge amount they spent, which could be spent for other projects beneficial to the people of San Pedro,”  Ambayec said.

He said there was no specific plan for the purchase of  the property in Bgy. Laram.

“They bought the property without clearly telling us if we would be building an infrastructure like hospital, school, housing, or any government offices. The local government cannot buy any land property if they do not specify their plans for it. I know that is not allowed,” Ambayec stressed. 

The complainant  added that there was no Board of Assessor appointed to assess the acquired property.  The acquisition, he said, was also not included in their annual investment plan.