Mayor files raps vs vice mayor

CHARGES to include anti-graft and corrupt practices act have been filed on Monday against Lamitan City Vice Mayor Arleigh Eisma before the Office of the Ombudsman.

The charges were filed by Mayor Roderick Furigay, who said on Tuesday that it stemmed from Eisma’s excessive fuel consumption that has reached P1.4 million in five-month period last year.

The charges filed by Furigay against Eisma ranges from violation of Section 3 (e) and (h) of Republic Act (RA) 3019, otherwise known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act; Section 10 of RA 9184 otherwise known as the Government Procurement Reform Act; Sections 341 and 356 of RA 7160 otherwise known as the Local Government Code; and, Section 7 (a) RA 6713 otherwise known as the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

ZAMBOANGA. Lamitan City Mayor Roderick Furigay shows his complaint affidavit for the charges he filed against his vice mayor. At his right is his legal counsel, lawyer Quirino Esguerra Jr. (Bong Garcia)

Furigay said Eisma has caused significant injury to the government, specifically the local government unit (LGU) of Lamitan City since the fuel was purchased from a gasoline station owned by the vice mayor.

“Goods such as petroleum products for the use of the local government’s service vehicles must go through a competitive public bidding as mandated by Section 10 of RA 9184,” Furigay said.

The mayor also cited that the gasoline was used in a private vehicle and the approving officer of the driver’s daily trip ticket is the vice mayor himself.

“Vice Mayor Eisma’s action of approving these trip tickets, certifying the Obligation Request, approving for payment the Disbursing Voucher, with the payment thereof being made to a gasoline station owned by himself, in the least, constitutes graft and conflict of interest, punishable under RA 3019,” the mayor said.

“He signed the check, encashed the check under his account and deposited the check under his name,” said lawyer Quirino Esguerra Jr., Furigay’s legal counsel.

Eisma has denied Furigay’s accusation, saying the amount of P1,404,994 represents the fuel allocation for the City Council and not his consumption.

Eisma said he was not also informed by Furigay that the fuel cannot be purchased from his gasoline station. (Bong Garcia)