Sandiganbayan suspends Cebu vice mayor over graft, malversation

The Sandiganbayan has ordered the 90-day suspension of Bogo City, Cebu Vice Mayor Maria Cielo Martinez pending her trial for graft and malversation over the alleged misuse of her mother’s Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) allocations.

In a resolution, the anti-graft court's Sixth Division affirmed that Martinez should be placed under preventive suspension in accordance with Section 13 of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Martinez was arraigned in 2014 and pleaded not guilty to both charges. She won as vice mayor of Bogo City in the May 2016 polls.

Also, the Sandiganbayan rejected Martinez's argument that she was not yet a public official when the crimes were allegedly committed, saying that the law states "incumbent" public officials.

"The term 'office' in Section 13 of the law applies to any office which the officer might currently be holding and not necessarily the particular office in relation to which he is charged," the resolution read.

The vice mayor was accused of conspiring with her mother, former Cebu Rep. Clavel Martinez, brother former Sangguniang Panlalawigan member Celestino Martinez III, and four others over the alleged fraudulent disbursement of the lawmaker’s P11-million PDAF allocations in 2003.

State auditors found that the PDAF allocation of Rep. Martinez was coursed through the municipal government of Bogo, which in turn issued a Land Bank of the Philippines check for the amount of P11.5 million payable to “GSP-Cebu/treasurer” on September 22, 2003. GSP-Cebu is the Girl Scouts of the Philippines-Cebu Council.

The elder Martinez’s PDAF or "pork barrel" allocation was supposed to be paid out as “financial assistance to the GSP-Cebu Council” for its campaign against illegal drugs.

In October 2003, the proceeds of the manager’s check was deposited at the BPI-Cebu Capitol bearing Account No. 9063-0451-92.

A week after, auditors found that the vice mayor withdrew the entire amount and deposited P10 million into BPI Account No. 9663-0063-01, which was allegedly opened in the name of her mother.

Also named co-defendants in the graft and malversation cases were then Bogo treasurer Rhett Minguez, municipal accountant Cresencio Verdida, Girl Scouts of the Philippines-Cebu Council bookkeeper Rhodariza Kilantang and GSP-Cebu cashier-designate Julieta Quiño.

The Sandiganbayan has ordered the Department of Interior and Local Government to implement the suspension. —LBG, GMA News