Kamputhaw chief faces graft raps

CEBU, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman in Manila has approved the filing of criminal charges for violation of the Anti-graft and Corrupt Practices Act against Kamputhaw barangay captain Lorenzo Basamot.

Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Pelagio Apostol has been ordered to file a case against Basamot for violation of Section 3 (e) of Republic Act 3019 for appointing two employees of the barangay without the concurrence of the majority of his barangay council.

The anti-graft investigators rejected Basamot’s claim that only the appointments of barangay secretary and the treasurer need the concurrence of the majority of the barangay council.

But the complainants, Councilman Enrique Bacalan and four other fellow barangay officials, argued that Basamot’s claim has no basis.

Section 389 of the Local Government Code provides that the barangay captains can appoint or replace the treasurer, the barangay secretary and other appointive barangay officials “upon approval by a majority of all the members of the Sangguniang Barangay.”

Basamot admitted in an interview with The FREEMAN yesterday that only three of the seven members of the Barangay Council voted in favor that Atty. Julius Ceasar Entice and Emmanuel Du be hired as executive officer and electrician, respectively.

The anti-graft investigator has recommended for the indictment of Basamot for graft because he insisted on hiring Entice and Du even if he was already told by Assistant Ombudsman Virginia Palanca-Santiago and Department of the Interior and Local Government legal officer Danilo Almendras that his actions were contrary to the law

“To our mind, respondent clearly acted with evident bad faith and manifest partiality in appointing Du in spite of having been forewarned against it by the proper authorities,” said anti-graft investigator Amy Rose Rellin.

But Basamot said he will file a motion for reconsideration of the Ombudsman’s order because he and the complainants have already agreed on a “win-win” solution to the issue.— /BRP (FREEMAN)