Laguna mayor faces plunder case

A CASE of plunder was filed against incumbent Biñan, Laguna Mayor Marlyn Alonte -Naguiat and Vice Mayor Wilfredo Reyes Dimaguila Jr. before the Office of the Ombudsman on Tuesday over the anomalous purchase of land in 2009.

The complainant, businesswoman Adelaida Yatco also asked that the two should be suspended from office while the case is being investigated.

Yatco accused the said respondents of violating Republic Act 7080 or the Anti-Plunder Law, Republic Act 3019 or the Anti- Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and Republic Act 6713 or An Act Establishing a Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

“Without a doubt, respondents should be preventively suspended considering that the evidence of their guilt is strong and the charges against them involve grave offenses warranting their removal from service and that their continued stay in the positions would surely prejudice the instant case against them since they are both influential elective public officials in the local government,” the affidavit of Yatco stated.

Alonte- Naguiat and Dimaguila were elected in 2007. Dimaguila was appointed acting mayor dur- ing that time when the municipality of Biñan bought the land owned by Emmanuel and Alita Capinpin and Fe Alonte, mother of Alonte- Naguiat, which was used for the expansion of the town’s cemetery.

Yatco said the land’s fair market value that time was only at P21,468,240. However, because of the alleged conspiracy of the officials, the municipality paid P98,396,100 for the 29,817 squaremeter property located in Barangay San Antonio, Biñan.

The purchase rendered the local government a loss of P76,927,860..