Barangay officials in Moalboal face graft charges

Local

CRIMINAL and administrative complaints were filed by the National Bureau of Investigation-Central Visayas (NBI-7) against public officials and private contractors involved in a barangay project in Barangay Saavedra, Moalboal, Cebu.

On Monday, June 16, NBI 7 confirmed that it lodged a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas, recommending the prosecution of Barangay Chairman Mario Maribao Temblor and 10 others, who were accused of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, the Government Procurement Reform Act, and the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

The case involves the rehabilitation of the Barangay Saavedra Day Care Center and a planned acquisition of a mini dump truck. Based on the investigation, the barangay’s Bids and Awards Committee (BBAC) held what was supposed to be a public bidding on July 26, 2024.

But only two BBAC members attended the session, including Jay Buagas Diaz as chairman and Marifel Abalorio as vice chair. Despite the lack of a quorum, the process pushed through.

Instead of declaring a failure of bidding, the lone bidder, Sibalom Glass, Aluminum, Construction Supply and Services, delivered construction materials on July 28.

The company began rehabilitation work on August 1.

The NBI-7 noted that photographs from the complainants showed the project was completed by the second week of September.

However, official barangay documents tell a different story.

Records submitted by the barangay indicated that a rebidding took place on October 14, a Notice of Award was issued on October 21, and a Notice to Proceed was given on October 30.

According to these records, the project was completed on November 11, accepted on November 14, and paid for on November 20 with a check worth P280,639.01.

The NBI-7 said the timeline in the documents was clearly manipulated.

While the actual rehabilitation took over a month, the papers made it appear that the work was completed in only 11 days.

Investigators also discovered that on July 22, four days before the supposed bidding, Temblor hosted individuals representing the lone bidder at his birthday celebration.

The bureau said this was a strong indication of a prior relationship between the barangay chairman and the contractor.

Complainants Elma Nuevo and Josie Alvarico, residents of Barangay Saavedra, questioned the legitimacy of the bidding process after noting inconsistencies in the timeline.

Their complaint led to the NBI investigation and subsequent filing before the Ombudsman.

The case is now under evaluation for preliminary investigation and possible formal charges.(MyTVCebu)