TOWN OFFICIAL FACES RAPS BEFORE OMBUD

Barili Councilor Jeremias Aguilar allegedly entered into a contract with Conequip for the purchase of a rescue van without the authorization of the Municipal Council

Barili Councilor Jeremias Aguilar has been charged before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas for allegedly violating Republic Act 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Timoteo Pason, who filed the administrative and criminal complaints against Aguilar, accused him of entering into a contract with Conequip for the purchase of a rescue van worth P5.9 million on Sept. 14, 2018.

Aguilar was acting mayor during that time.

But the bids and awards committee (BAC) only awarded the contract for the purchase on Jan. 4, 2019.

Pason said the Municipal Council did not pass an ordinance authorizing Aguilar to enter a contract.

Aguilar, though, denied the allegations.

“I’m only being charged because the elections are nearing. Everybody knows you can’t just sign a contract. You have to go through a process,” he told Superbalita Cebu in Cebuano.

Pason said P6 million was set aside for the purchase of a mini dump truck, but Aguilar allegedly realigned the budget without the council’s consent.

Aguilar said the money came from the Provincial Government, and he sought Gov. Hilario Davide III’s permission to realign it. He also said the council passed a resolution allowing him to do so.

Pason pointed out that the resolution was passed 12 days after Aguilar allegedly signed the contract last Sept. 14.

Last Nov. 28, the P6-million budget was downloaded from the Capitol to the Barili Municipal Treasurer’s Office.

BAC Resolution 2019-003 showed that the purchase of the rescue van was posted from Dec. 4 to Dec. 27, or three months after the contract with Conequip was signed.

In his complaint, Pason included a copy of the deed of absolute sale, dated Sept. 14, 2018, which was notarized by lawyer Edmund Villanueva on Feb. 6, 2019; a copy of Sangguniang Bayan Resolution 2019-008; a copy of Aguilar’s memorandum, dated Feb. 19, 2019, directing acting treasurer Edward Barolo to pay P5.9 million to Conequip for the rescue van.

As first councilor, Aguilar became the acting mayor of Barili from Aug. 24, 2018 until Feb. 23, 2019, after the ombudsman suspended Mayor Marlon Garcia, Vice Mayor Teresito Mariñas and three other officials for six months because they gave salaries and the revised rates of representation and transportation allowances to Councilor Sheila Pason even if she was on leave.

It was not determined if the complainant and Councilor Pason were related.