BARANGAY Balulang chief Alfredo Carcosa surrendered to authorities Thursday morning ahead of policemen out to serve arrest warrants for Carcosa and for one other former village official over graft charges stemming from supposed ghost village employees.
Carcosa and co-accused Nelieta Penas, a former barangay treasurer, turned themselves in before Branch 39 of the Regional Trial Court and were allowed to post bail amounting to P15,000 each.
The court had recommended each to post a bail bond of P30,000 which the court later cut by half.
Carcosa is a Liberal Party (LP) candidate for city councilor in the 1st District in next year’s polls.
The warrants of arrest for both Carcosa and Penas were issued by Presiding Judge Marites Filomena Bana-Bernales on October 12 this year.
Police Senior Inspector Joepet Paglinawan, Carmen Police Station chief, said.
Policemen were heading to the houses of both respondents to execute the arrest warrants but both Carcosa and Penas were already heading to the court along with their lawyer.
"Pag-adto sa ilang balay wala na sila kay naka obtain naman sila og kopya so gidiretso sila sa korte", Paglinawan said.
Carcosa and Penas stand accused of violating Section 3(e) of Republic Act Number 3019, otherwise known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, for allegedly conspiring with one another to employ three ghost workers in the said barangay in September and October 2011.
The ghost employees -- Anacito Mata, Ofelia Delagrimas and Danilo Cabanez -- allegedly received P3,000 each.
The Office of the Ombudsman had issued a resolution on July 2014 after finding probable cause to charge both Carcosa and Penas of graft.
Lawyer Edgar Cabanlas, Carcosa’s legal counsel, said an arraignment date is yet to be set by the court.
“Maghulat ko karon sa schedule sa hearing sa arraignment”, Cabanlas said.
Cabanlas said Carcosa will remain as village chief while the case is being heard unless the Ombudsman will issue a motion to suspend him from his post.