For paying for undelivered construction supply, former Leyte mayor faces graft

A former mayor of Carigara, Leyte was charged with graft at the Sandiganbayan for supposedly approving a P5.4-million payment for a hardware company even if the construction supply for the town’s water project was not delivered.

Assistant Special Prosecutor III Jorge Espinal filed one count of graft against former Mayor Anlie Apostol for violating Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Ombudsman Samuel Martires signed Apostol’s indictment on October 11.

In 2010, New Leyte Ever Hardware Co. Inc. was paid for construction materials related to the Small Water Impounding Project in Barangays Binibihan, San Isidro, and Paglaum—basically a rehabilitation project.

Investigators, however, found that the construction materials were never delivered by the supplier.

Apostol supposedly directed then-Municipal Chief Administrative Officer Crescente Precia to sign the Acceptance and Inspection Report certifying that the materials were successfully delivered and to facilitate the payment in favor of New Leyte Ever Hardware.

Apostol’s actions caused the government undue injury, valued at P5.4 million, when the former local chief executive paid New Leyte Ever Hardware even if the company was not entitled to get paid, according to the case document.

Bail was set at P30,000 as recommended by the state prosecutor. —Joseph Tristan Roxas/VDS, GMA News