The Sandiganbayan acquitted a former Eastern Samar town mayor and other officials of graft charges arising from the reimbursement of maintenance expenses for the former’s personal sports utility vehicle (SUV) that was used for official purposes.
In a decision promulgated June 3, the anti-graft court’s Second Division cleared former Lawaan mayor Candida Gabornes, municipal accountant Pedro Gabornes, and municipal treasurer Ruben Baet who were accused in 2014 of violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act as well as malversation through falsification of public documents.
They were charged with the use of public funds amounting to PHP41,000 for the purchase of tires and parts and maintenance of Mayor Gabornes’ SUV.
In clearing the officials, the court said: “there was no dishonest purpose or a conscious doing of a wrong nor some motive or intent or ill will in reimbursing expenses in which the local government of Lawaan benefitted”.
The complainants, members of the Sangguniang Bayan (local council), said the town had its own donated ambulance and truck and had no need to use the mayor’s private vehicle.
The mayor said she lent her private vehicle to be used when, among others, transporting personnel to encash checks for payroll and operation expenses, inspection of municipal programs and projects, and during trainings.
No notice of disallowance was issued by the Commission on Audit (COA) pertaining to the transactions but when the cases were filed, the mayor returned the money to the COA regional office.
The court noted that “nothing unconscionable was reimbursed as expenses” and “there was nothing fraudulent or dishonest in that act of Mayor Gabornes in requesting for reimbursement”.
Source: Philippines News Agency
CDO lifts curfew amid low Covid-19 cases
The local government here lifted Monday curfew hours after cases of the coronavirus diseases 2019 (Covid-19) continually remain low over the past six months.
In a press conference, Mayor Oscar Moreno said the City Legal Office has been directed to draft an executive order lifting the curfew hours from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. the next day.
“Our (Covid-19) cases remain low, though we need to improve our vaccination further,” Moreno said.
He said the basis for the lifting of the curfew is anchored on the city's health utilization rate of 1.52 percent as of June 4, indicating an average of zero or a single Covid-19 case daily.
Moreno said the city has at least two Covid-19 patients who are now recuperating in the state-run Northern Mindanao Medical Center.
Dr. Ted Yu Jr., the city health office medical officer, said one of the patients was an eight-year-old girl.
“Her condition is made severe because she’s also afflicted by dengue,” Yu said.
The patient, from Barangay Macasandig, was unvaccinated, prompting Yu to call on parents anew to allow children aged 5 to 7 to get the vaccine.
Currently, he said at least 33 percent of children in the same age group have received their first dose, and 18 percent got the second dose.
Yu said 2,862 individuals received their second booster shots under the category of immunocompromised adults, health workers, and senior citizens.
Source: Philippines News Agency
