Ombudsman recommends graft case vs. former mayor

After finding probable cause, the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas recommended the filing of a case against the former Malabuyoc town mayor who was accused of violating the anti-graft law.

Former mayor Lito Narciso Creus was alleged to have been biased in favor of the seven of the 14 victims of the fire that swept the town on January 5, 2004.

Fire victims Maria Theresa Kho Bernales, Philip Kho, Juanito Kho, Benidicta Amazon, Aurora Collados, Corsino Zamora Sr., and Lucila Quiñanola of barangay Upper Poblacion Uno complained that they did not receive any assistance from the local government.

The municipal council declared the fire-hit area under a state of calamity, which meant that each of the affected 14 families was entitled to receive emergency assistance.

But only seven of the 14 families reportedly received the P8,000 emergency assistance. The complainants said they went several times to Creus' office for their assistance, but went home empty-handed.

The complainants believed the reason they were deprived of the assistance was their being close relatives of Rolando Quiñones, a rival candidate of Creus' wife who ran for mayor at that time.

The complainants claimed that when they went to Creus' office, they were told to see a Department of Social Welfare and Development officer who told them that there was no order to release the financial assistance to them.

The Ombudsman dismissed the case in its February 9, 2005 decision of the case, but the complainants filed a motion for reconsideration on March 14.

The Ombudsman then called on both parties for a clarificatory hearing on August 4. "The fact that until now they have not been given such financial assistance weighs heavily against the respondent," said graft investigator Alvin Butch Cañares.

Cañares reasoned out that "it is highly unusual for the complainants not seek the release of the financial assistance considering they are entitled to it."

In his five-page decision, Deputy Ombudsman Primo Miro said: "And if indeed the assistance was to be given to the victims regardless of political affiliations, then the vouchers for such would have already been approved by the respondent for all the fire victims."

Miro said "the non-release (of the assistance) to the complainants who are admitted by the respondent to be close relatives of the political rival of his wife is clearly showing partiality in the discharge of his official functions." - Liv G. Campo