Acting Guadalupe chief sued for graft

A day after acting Guadalupe barangay captain Ruben Baculi filed a complaint before the Department of Interior and Local Government against suspended barangay captain Eugenio Faelnar, five barangay councilmen allied with Faelnar filed an anti-graft complaint against him before the Ombudsman-Visayas.

The complaint stemmed from the alleged sale of a garbage truck owned by the barangay without proper documentations.

The complainants were barangay councilmen Dino Faelnar, Robert Gabutan, Rodrigo Gabutan, Alex Semilla and David Suzara. Dino is the son of Eugenio Faelnar.

Earlier Baculi sent a letter to the DILG regional office claiming Faelnar was still functioning as barangay captain despite the suspension order of the Sandiganbayan dated February 2, 2006.

Faelnar and other officials of the Association of Barangay Councils in Cebu City were placed under a 90-day suspension following an administrative complaint filed by dismissed ABC employee Leah Rondez, who complained of illegal termination and non-payment of her benefits.

The councilmen claimed Baculi connived with a buyer to "clandestinely" dispose of the garbage truck without the approval of the council.

They added that Baculi received the P30,000 payment for the truck from the buyer, Eddie Labora, and Baculi signed the acknowledgment form.

"The act of Baculi in assisting the alleged buyer to tender the alleged payment for the disposed garbage truck is an added insult to the injury he caused to the barangay council and to the entire barangay in general," the councilmen added.

"Klaro na kaayo ang ilang motibo ilang gihatag ang mga names sa bidders sa pag-assume nako pag March ug nasud gyud ko sa laang kay ingon sila nga OK na tanan papeles, pero ang money akong giuli kay kuwang pa daw. Anyway I can defend it in the proper forum," Baculi said in his defense.

Baculi added that the filing of administrative complaint before the anti-graft office was carried out under the suspended barangay captain's orders. - Ramil V. Ayuman