Northern Samar town mayor, 2 others in falsification case

PALAPAG ( Northern Samar) Municipal Mayor Manuel Aoyang and two other individuals are facing a falsification case before the Sandiganbayan over the alleged falsification of a resolution and excerpts from minutes of the municipal council’s special session in 2015.

Aoyang was charged along with thenSangguniang Bayan ( municipal council) member Eleno Calot and then-Sangguniang Bayan Secretary Emil Bello Go a.k.a. Hermilio Bello Go a.k.a. Emil B. Go a.k.a. Nardo B. Go.

The Office of the Ombudsman alleged in the charge sheet “[ t] hat on 17 February 2015, or sometime prior or subsequent thereto,” the accused, “conspiring and confederating with one another,” “falsif[ ied] Municipal Resolution No. 2015- 008 of the Sangguniang Bayan of Palapag entitled ‘ Resolution Approving the List of Anti- Poverty Reduction Projects in the Municipality of Palapag, Northern Samar’ [ Resolution], and the excerpts from the minutes of the special session of the Sangguniang Bayan of the Municipality of Palapag, Province of Northern Samar, held on February 17, People’s Center, this municipality, which are public documents...”

According to the charge sheet, the accused - legedly “by including in the said excerpts the names of [ then-] Sangguniang Bayan Members Sonia P. Evardone and Anacorito C. Javier, as among those who attended and were present during the said Special Session for the passage of the Resolution...”

The Ombudsman alleged that the accused thereby made “it appear that Evardone and Javier participated therein, when in truth and in fact, as accused” allegedly “well knew, that they were not present, much less participate in the deliberation, passing or approval of the Resolution...”

The Ombudsman recommended P24,000 bail for each of the accused.

It listed Evardone, Javier “And Others” as witnesses.