Lapu-Lapu mayor facing plunder, graft complaints at Ombudsman
Chan on alleged P16 million overpriced transactions cases: Politically motivated
Lawyer Jennify Tan (second from left) shows the complaint against Mayor Junard Chan that she and Councilor Flaviano Hiyas (third from left) and Charles Vailoces (right) filed at the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas today, April 25. They were accompanied by their lawyer, Ferdinand Dungog (left). | Futch Anthony Inso
LAPU-LAPU CITY, Philippines — Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan will face again several complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas due to alleged overpriced transactions that the city has entered into.
This time, the mayor will face a complaint of plunder, malversation of public funds, and violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act due to several transactions on the purchases of rice, disinfectants, and solar lamp kits.
The total accumulated transactions have reached the amount of P608,115,030.
Aside from the mayor, other respondents in the case are former City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) head Annabeth Cuizon; Disaster risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) head Nagiel Bañacia; City Treasurer Felicitas Baguio; City Accountant Helen Dungog; the members of the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) of Lapu-Lapu City, namely: Lawyer James Allan Sayson, Ronaldo Malacora, Claire Cabalda, Romeo Berame, and Judith Furuta.
Some private individuals were also included in the complaint who were suppliers of the purchases.
The complainants on the cases were incumbent councilors and candidates from Team Deretso, namely: Michael Dignos, Flaviano Hiyas Jr., Alexander Gestopa, Rodolfo Potot, Cipriano Flores, Harry Radaza, Elias Berdin, Eduardo Patalingjug, Arsilito Pejo, Antonio Amistad, and Diosminda Hayashi; independent city councilor candidate Humprey Elvira; Delano Eviota; Charles Vailoces; and Lawyer Jeannify Tan.
P410 million rice purchases
“Kabahin kini sa mga rice purchases sa siyudad sa Lapu-Lapu nga mikabat og P410 million nga balig 160,000 kapin ka sako nga bugas,” Lawyer Ferdinand Dungog said, legal counsel.
(This is part of the rice purchases of the City of Lapu-Lapu that reached P410 million that involved around 160,000 sacks of rice.)
Dungog said that the city had purchased each 50 kilos sack of rice for an amount of P2,550 based on the disbursement report that they acquired.
Councilor Flaviano Hiyas, who is one of the complainants of the case, said that the prevailing price of these sacks of rice was only P1,700 per sack.
“The overpricing in rice procurement has amounted to P136,843,200. If the city bought rice at P1,700 per sack, it could have saved P850 per sack times 160,992 sacks. This still excludes possible discounts considering that purchases were in bulk,” Hiyas said.
Overpriced disinfectants, solar lamps
Other purchases that the city has made which are allegedly overpriced are disinfectants which were bought at P1,287 per gallon, but the prevailing price in May 2020 was not more than P600 per gallon.
The overprice of the purchases reached a total amount of P403,750.
For solar lamps, Hiyas said that the city paid P101,570 for each solar lamp with a post.
But upon their inquiry from online suppliers, its price would only range from P12,000 to P20,000 per set.
“Overpricing of solar lamps with a post based on the differences in the price to Rapidry (the city’s supplier) and the median price quoted by Megasamsonite, Inc., it reached to P27,051,750,” he added.
The solar lamp kits that were purchased by the city also amounted to P9,495 each. But the online price of the said product, Hiyas said was only P2,760.
The city has purchased 7,263 solar lamp kits with a total amount of P68,098,500.
Dungog also clarified that the case that they had filed had nothing to do with politics since other complainants of the case were private individuals and an independent candidate in the upcoming May 9 elections.
Politically motivated – Lapu-Lapu mayor
Chan, for his part, said that he was saddened by the accusation that the opposition has thrown against him.
For Lapu-Lapu Mayor Chan, the case filed was politically motivated.
“Subo pamalandungon nga aduna na say gibato nga laing pasangil ang pikas kampo batok kanako.
(It is sad to think about it that there are still allegations thrown at me by the rival camp.)
“Sa tinuoray lang, di nako makugang sa ilang gibuhat kay nagsingabot naman ang eleksyon ug nabati man gyud nila nga mas baga man ang atong nakuha nga suporta gikan sa mga katawhang Oponganon.
(In truth, I am not surprised by what they are doing because the elections are drawing near and they heard that we got a bigger support from the Oponganons.)
“Maong buhaton gyud nila ang tanang pagtumo2 bisan pa man nga wala kini basehan ug bisan kahibalo ra sila nga ma-dismiss ra ang kaso.
(That is why they will do their best to accuse me of things which have no basis and even if they know that this cases will eventually be dismissed.)
“Ang akoa lang, di ko makasabot nganong maabot na sa punto nga ilang kaykayon ang issue sa presyo sa bugas nga duha naman katuig milabay. Buot pasabot, politically motivated ra gyud ang tanan,” Chan said in a statement.
(For me, I really can’t understand why this has reached a point where they have to dig up the issue on the price of rice eventhough two years have already passed. This means that all of these are politically motivated.)
Lapu-Lapu mayor on rice prices
Chan said that due to the high demand for rice during the height of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, its price has also increased.
The mayor said that he only did his best so that the city could supply rice to every household that was affected by the pandemic.
“Isip amahan sa syudad, nangita ra man unta ko og paagi nga mapakaon ang akong mga anak. Kung dili sab ko mopalit og bugas, unsa may akong ipakaon sa mga tawo?,” the Lapu-Lapu mayor said.
(As a father of the city, I was just looking for a way to feed my children. If I will not buy rice, what will I feed the people?)
“Kung sala nako ang paghatag og pagkaon sa mga katawhan, andam ko magpapriso basta lang dili mangamatay ang mga Oponganon sa kagutom. Andam nako dawaton ang sakripisyo nungka ang mga katawhan maoy masakripisyo,” Chan said.
(If it is a sin to give food to the people, then I am ready to be jailed just as long as the Oponganons will not die of hunger. I am ready to accept the sacrifice as long as the people’s welfare will not be sacrificed.)
He added that he would be willing to be put in jail, just to show the Oponganons that he had been working and serving the public, especially during the height of the pandemic.
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