Ex-Bulacan mayor barred from gov’t service for misuse of P4.9M city fund

 

The Office of the Ombudsman has perpetually barred former Meycauayan, Bulacan Mayor Joan Alarilla from holding public office after she was found guilty of serious dishonesty and grave misconduct for mishandling the city coffer.

Investigation showed that from July to August 2007, Alarilla issued 43 checks with a total of P4.9 million supposedly as payment to suppliers LC San Pascual Construction Company and VSP Trading and General Merchandise.

The amount was supposed to fund several projects such as the construction of artesian wells, rehabilitation of basketball courts, upgrading of perimeter fences and roads, procurement of patented school chairs, among others.

However, the Ombudsman found that the checks were instead converted for Alarilla’s personal use.

“[T]he proper procurement process was not followed since there was no public bidding conducted by the city government for these contracts purportedly awarded to LC San Pascual Construction and VSP Trading and General Merchandise,” the Ombudsman said in its decision.

Some of the bidders executed sworn statements showing that they did not participate in the bidding.

Moreover, the Commission on Audit found that “the delivery receipts were not submitted; certificates of inspection and acceptance reports were undated; the items listed in the purchase order were already used/utilized in the implementation of the project at the time of inspection; and the items and/or quantities were either understated or overstated.”

“[R]espondent Joan Alarilla exhibited a clear intent to violate the law. Clearly, the elements of corruption are present in this case as she allowed the misappropriation of public funds through the falsification of the disbursement vouchers and their supporting documents,” Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales said.

“[A]s City Mayor, [she] allowed the unlawful taking of public funds through falsification of public documents and abused her authority to the detriment of the interest of the City Government of Meycauayan, Bulacan,” she added.

Aside from being barred from holding public office, Alarilla was also slapped with other penalties such as the cancellation of eligibility and forfeiture of retirement benefits.

Since she is no longer in service, the penalty will be converted to a fine equivalent to her one-year salary. — MDM, GMA News