Ex-Quezon mayor charged with graft over swampland

MANILA, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman yesterday filed graft charges against a former mayor of a town in Quezon and two former municipal officials for the alleged illegal purchase of a swampland in 2005 using public funds.

Charged were former Polillo mayor Isarme Bosque, former municipal treasurer Carmelita Marasigan and former municipal assessor Samson Ayapana.

The complaint stated that Bosque entered into a deed of sale for the purchase of a 3.3-hectare land in Barangay Libjo without a feasibility study and approval from the Sangguniang Bayan.

Bosque bought the lot, which has an assessed value of P24,870, for P411,000, investigation showed.

The municipal council passed an appropriation ordinance providing for a P500,000 supplemental budget to purchase the property to be used for low-cost housing, a municipal cemetery and municipal dump.

However, a report of the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office of Real, Quezon showed that only one hectare may be used for low-cost housing. The rest of the land is suitable only for a fishpond or agricultural plantation.

A certification issued by the deputy zoning administrator of the municipality also showed that the lot is within the agricultural, forest and shore easement zone.