Court padlocks Hermosa multi-purpose hall; ex-mayor ‘in hot water’ over missing R3.4 M

HERMOSA, Bataan — The former mayor of this town is “in hot water,” facing criminal charges for allegedly failing to pay the balance of R3.4-million for the purchase of the lot on which the Hermosa Multi-Purpose Hall and Covered Court was constructed in 2003.

Since then, lawyer Cornelio Rivera, who sold the lot to the municipal government, stands to collect more than R9 million, including interest, because of the failure of former mayor, Efren J. Cruz to settle the R 3,463,000 balance in payment.

Last week, upon the order of Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 5 Judge Lourdes El Tanal-Ignacio in Dinalupihan, Sheriff Corazon Bautista padlocked the public facility.

Municipal Administrator Antonio Ariel Inton, Jr. said Mayor Jopet Inton was shocked upon learning that the unpaid balance to Atty. Rivera had ballooned to R9 million based on the court ordering the 12 percent interest since 2003.

He said the mayor had discovered that the lot had already been paid in full by the municipal government, but it appears that the money was not received by the lot owner.

The municipal administrator assured employees that the present leadership will exhaust all legal means to run after those responsible for the missing money and make them answerable to the people of Hermosa.