A RESIDENT of Barangay Bata has filed administrative and criminal complaints against Bacolod Representative Evelio Leonardia and Acting Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran before the Office of the Ombudsman in relation to the latter’s ownership of a stall at the Manokan Country, a government-owned property. Complainant Abner Cañal is asking the Ombudsman to issue a preventive suspension order against the respondents to prevent them from influencing the investigation of the complaint he filed for violation of Section 89 (a)(5) of the Local Government Code (LGC) of 1991 in relation to section 3(g) and (h) of Republic Act 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. In his verified complaint dated December 23, 2015 filed by his counsel Eduardo Padios, Cañal said that Leonardia violated the law when he signed and entered into a Contract of Lease with Familiaran dated June 24, 2013, despite knowing that the contract is prohibited by law. Cañal also alleged that Leonardia treated Familiaran with “great favor” in approving the lease contract, whose rent was 50 percent lower compared to other lessee-occupants of the government-owned property. He also said that this act was a conspiracy by both officials in using their positions for personal interest. In reaction, Familiaran said the case is “a grand design to attack his character” and “a demolition by perception.” He said he acquired the stall through public bidding and constructed the existing structure using his personal funds since the old structure was demolished by the former tenant. Familiaran also pointed out that he and Leonardia were political opponents at the time he acquired the stall. Familiaran was, at the time, allied with Bacolod Mayor Monico Puentevella, who is currently serving a 90-day preventive suspension over a graft case for the alleged overpriced purchase of computer packages when he was still a congressman. Leonardia’s counsel, Joselito Bayatan, said the complaint filed against the congressman and Familiaran “bears the political label of the suspended mayor.” “It is a known fact that due to the growing unpopularity and unabated misgovernance of Puentevella, many of his followers are bolting from his camp. One of them is Familaran who now prefers to join the Grupo Progreso of Leonardia for integrity and to avoid being tainted with the badge of graft and corruption under the rule of Puentevella,” he said. (CNC)
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