Ex-Bataan town mayor cleared over ‘anomalous’ land deal

MANILA, Philippines — The Sandiganbayan has acquitted a former municipal mayor in Bataan in connection with a supposedly anomalous purchase of a parcel of land amounting to P1.8 million in 2005.

Former Mariveles mayor Angel Peliglorio Jr. was acquitted of violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

The law prohibits a public official from giving unwarranted benefit, advantage or preference to a private party or from causing any party including the government undue injury.

In a 26-page decision promulgated on Oct. 24 and recently released to journalists, the Sandiganbayan’s Second Division said the Office of the Ombudsman failed to prove that the deal was anomalous, lacked documents and gave unwarranted advantage to the seller, who was an employee of the municipal hall.

Filed by the ombudsman in 2016, the case stemmed from Peliglorio’s purchase in behalf of the municipal government of a 3,777- square-meter property from Lauro Guansing.

The property was intended for the slaughterhouse project of the municipal government.

The ombudsman said the purchase was made without the property’s original title and other documents supporting the transaction.

It said the land title turned over by Guansing to the municipality showed the property was only 1,131 square meters.

The anti-graft court said that although there was a slight deviation in the documentation of the transaction, the prosecution failed to establish Peliglorio’s negligence or that his action was made in bad faith.

The court said there was no proof showing Peliglorio gave unwarranted preference or benefit to Guansing.