"Missing" equipment: Barangay captain tags councilman

CEBU, Philippines – The barangay captain of Kalunasan is questioning the alleged disappearance of barangay-owned equipment reportedly issued to one of his councilmen. 

In a press conference yesterday, Barangay Captain Edelito Mabano said several items reportedly issued to Councilman Oliver Ocampo are allegedly missing. Ocampo heads the barangay's committee on livelihood.

These reportedly include two mini billiard tables with accessories worth of P14,600; a Ruby extra caliber .32 worth P500; a basketball goal worth P18,900; an air conditioning unit worth P17,200; 10 sewing machines amounting to P96,500; and a laptop computer with accessories worth P69,500.

"I will call Ocampo to explain the missing properties and projects where it is after the election for us to know where these things are," Mabano said.

The supposed disappearance of the items was discovered after chief tanod Ariel Labareta and barangay tanod Hernan Lopez told Mabano that Ocampo allegedly pawned the laptop twice last June 8 and August 9, 2010 in Barangay Labangon.

Both claimed personal knowledge of the supposed pawning because Ocampo reportedly hired them to be his driver.

Labareta and Lopez disclosed the alleged pawning after Ocampo, in one of his gatherings, allegedly accused them of failing to do regular rounds in the barangay.

Mabano said he will ask the Property Management Division of the city's Department of General Services to let Ocampo liquidate the items. 

Ocampo, for his part, denied the accusations. He said it was actually his personal computers that he pawned to a business associate in Barangay Sawang Calero.

Ocampo also said that the mini billiard table and the basketball goal were actually not issued to him, but to Councilor Ronald Cuenco. He said he only accepted responsibility over the items when Cuenco left for the United States.

"It was not issued to me. It was issued to Ronald and at that time he was going to States and before he can go, he would secure clearance from the city to check if he has no more obligations in the city as requirements of going to the States and because we are close friend, I accepted when Ronald let me sign those properties to clear his name," Ocampo said.

Ocampo also said that the sewing machines were distributed to the students of his livelihood program a year ago because they could not be secured at the barangay hall that was undergoing construction at that time. He said he can identify the ones who have the sewing machines. The air conditioning unit was reportedly put up at the night high school in Barangay Kalunasan.

Ocampo, however, was not able to explain the firearm.

In a separate issue, Mabano questioned why his opponent for barangay captain, Nunilon Monares, was not able to fully implement the road project that costs P641,977. The project reportedly established a road from the main road in Kalunasan to Upper Camparong and Singson.

Residents in the areas said the barangay should fix the road and Monares, the chairman of the committee on infrastructure, should be responsible for the same.

Ocampo, on behalf of Monares, explained the project was only to open the road and did not include asphalting it, as complained of by the residents. (FREEMAN)