Ombudsman orders charge filed vs. Surigao City mayor over unauthorized service contracts

Published April 16, 2015 10:13pm

The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered Surigao City Mayor Ernesto Matugas to be charged with graft for entering into service contracts without approval from the Sangguniang Panlunsod from January to June 2011.

In a resolution dated Thursday, the Office of the Ombudsman said "Matugas caused undue injury to the government in the consideration stated in such contracts, or an aggregate amount of P1,206,000.00.”

By entering these contracts, it added, Matugas violated the Local Government Code of 1991 and Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

The anti-graft law penalizes "causing any undue injury to any party, including the Government, or giving any private party any unwarranted benefits, advantage or preference in the discharge of his official administrative or judicial functions through manifest partiality, evident bad faith or gross inexcusable negligence."

Complaints against job order personnel Balgamelo Ma, Philip Sykimte, Mario Gesta, Valeriano Ma, Cesar Concepcion, William Angob, Gilgie Degala, Karen Chastity Ma, Michael Litang, Col. Rodolfo Dela Piedra, Kim Olaivar, Maria Lowela Marasigan, Kim Jonas Orquillas, Jr. and Emilda Retorta were dismissed for lack of probable cause.

An earlier administrative case filed against the mayor was dismissed after he was reelected in 2013.

Under the doctrine of condonation, administrative cases against elected officials no longer have bearing because "the electorate has been deemed to have condoned or forgiven his acts during the previous term." — Rie Takumi/JDS/KG, GMA News

Tags: ombudsman, localgovernmentunits, surigaocity, ernestomatugas, graft