La Union mayor seeks dismissal of graft case

SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union: The mayor of Tubao, La Union facing graft and corruption charges - over alleged irregularities on use of calamity fund for typhoon victims the cases for “lack of merit.”

Mayor Dante Garcia; Vice Mayor Jonalyn Fontanilla; Iluminada Samson, municipal social welfare officer, and barangay ( village) chairmen Lolita Garcia and Almario Panelo are respondents in the Fontanilla, Ailyn Daisy Mamuyac and Lolita Selga of Tubao town.

The complainants are recipients of the Emergency Shelter Assistance (ESA) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development after their houses were destroyed by super typhoon “Lando” in October 2015.

The residents claimed in their a check for P10,000 but only got P3,000 cash while the P7,000 was - change for construction materials.

“Upon receiving the check and about to go home, Barangay Captain Panelo ordered me and my barangay mates to go to the house of Mayor Garcia to give our checks to Barangay Captain Lolita Garcia and Vice Mayor Fontanilla. We were made to sign in a yellow pad paper then received the P3,000 cash and in return surrender our checks to them. We were told to get the P7,000 as construction materials from the lumber or construction business of Mayor Garcia. I got 10 GI sheets and

All three complainants gave the same statements.

Garcia and the four other of calling it fabricated and without factual basis.

September 27, 2017 to the Deputy Ombudsman for Luzon in answer 2017, Garcia said, .. “in my capacity as mayor, I do not have any participation, direct or indirect, regarding the DSWD ESA that may have been awarded to the complainants.”