Ex-Cainta mayor faces rap for purchase of overpriced lot

The former mayor of Cainta, Rizal has been charged with graft over his alleged purchase of a private lot, which was allegedly overpriced by P14 million.

In a complaint filed before the Sandiganbayan last week, a copy of which was made available to the media on Tuesday, the Office of the Ombudsman through its Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), charged former Cainta Mayor Nicanor Felix of two counts of violation of Section 3 (e) of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Section 3(e) of RA 3019 prohibits a public official from causing any undue injury to any party, or giving any private party unwarranted benefits, advantage or preference in the discharge of his official administrative or judicial functions.

Based on the information of the case, between August 1999 to January 2000, Felix entered into a sale contract and approved the disbursement of municipal funds, for the purchase of a lot in Barrio San Andres in Cainta measuring 10,939 square meters.

The lot, owned by a certain private resident Bryan Villanueva, was allegedly purchased by the municipal government at P25 million or at P2,285.40 per square meter.

The Ombudsman said the purchase gave “unwarranted benefits” to Villanueva, while on the other hand, had caused “undue injury” to the government as the lot’s actual worth was only P10.939 million since its zonal market value was only pegged at about P1,000 per square meter.

Thus, the Ombudsman said, the purchased lot was overpriced by P14.061 million.

The Ombudsman said Felix, being then the mayor of Cainta, abused his position by “willfully, unlawfully and criminally” entering, on behalf of the Municipality of Cainta, into a contract of sale, which was “grossly disadvantageous to the government or the Municipality of Cainta.”

“This is to certify that based on record, a preliminary investigation was conducted in this case and that there is sufficient ground to engender a well-founded belief that the crime charged was committed and that the accused are probably guilty thereof,” the OSP said in a certification attached in the case information. —ALG, GMA News