Ronda mayor charged before Sandiganbayan

Former Ronda municipal mayor Esteban R. Sia has been charged by the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas before the Sandiganbayan for failing to render public accounts properly under Article 218 of the revised penal code.

Sometime in 2007 to 2010, Sia, who was then mayor, reportedly received public funds amounting to 12,597,560.70 for his official travels, intelligence fund, and other office activities.

Sia was required to render a report and liquidation of his expenses pursuant to the provisions of the Commission on Audit Circular No.97-002, in relation to the Government Auditing Code and Government Accounting and Auditing Manual (GAAM).

But since Sia failed to do so, the Ombudsman prosecution officer said he acted with “deliberate intent, did then and there willfully, unlawfully, and feloniously fail to render the required accounting for a period of two months within which such accounts should be rendered, to the damage and prejudice of the government.”

Sia’s bail bond has been set at 112,000. The case was filed by Graft Investigation and Prosecution Officer 1 Darius Sagadal.