Ex-Cebu town mayor, 8 others face graft case

THE Sandiganbayan against former Mayor Avelino Gungob Sr. of Consolacion, Cebu and several others over the alleged procurement of overpriced fertilizers in 2005.

Other respondents are thenMunicipal Treasurer Rosalina Maglasang, then- Municipal Accountant Lecelie Placibe, then- Municipal Agriculturist Evangeline Puao as well as then- Bids and Awards Committee ( BAC) members Carlito Maglasang, Florisa Bagasbas, Marilou Herrera and Siegfred Cataluna.

the charge sheet as the then-owner of MM Castillo General Merchandise, is also charged.

The Ombudsman alleged that the respondents “procure[ d] 166 bottles of liquid fertilizer at a price of” P1,500 per bottle from Castillo and allegedly paid a total of P249,000 for the procurement, despite the fact that the fertilizer purchase was overpriced by 733 percent... thus causing undue injury to the government in the amount of P219,120 or the amount disallowed by the Commission on Audit” ( COA), “or giving unwarranted benefit, advantage or preference to” Castillo.

The purchase price should have been P180 per bottle only, according to the charge sheet.

The Ombudsman recommended P30,000 bail each for the respondents’ provisional liberty.