THE Office of the Ombudsman has found a probable cause to file criminal complaints against Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia and two others in relation to the P49-million cash advances of fuel in 2008.
The decision dated September 26, 2018 was signed by Graft Investigator and Prosecutor Officer II Carl Vincent Sasuman and was approved by Ombudsman Samuel Martires on March 1, 2019.
The complainant was the Field Investigation Office, Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas and it was originally filed by Sara Esguerra, Othello Ramos and two others in 2009.
The copy of the resolution was distributed to the media Thursday, May 9, by mayoral candidate Jocelle Batapa-Sigue along with congressional candidate former congressman and former mayor Monico Puentevella and vice mayoral candidate Jude Thaddeus Sayson.
The resolution stated that finding probable cause to indict Leonardia; Eduardo Ravena, former city accountant; and Ricardo Dahildahil, an officer-in-charge of Management and Audit Services Office, for four counts of violation of Section 3 (e) of Republic Act 3019, as amended, let the corresponding information be filed in the proper court.
As to respondents Ronilo Quebrar, former director of Bacolod City Police Office; Belly Aguillon, officer-in-charge of City Engineer's Office; Teresita Guadalupe, former head of the Office of the Building Official; Roberto Lizares; and Francis Torres, the complaint is dismissed for insufficiency of evidence, the resolution added.
Batapa-Sigue said in a press conference Thursday, May 9, that the documents were sent to her by an anonymous sender.
She said the case involved the P49-million cash advances of the City for fuel, adding that the Commission on Audit (COA) released its findings that the City should stop purchasing fuel in advance due to lack of depot.
For his part, City Legal Officer Joselito Bayatan said that as early as May 6, they heard some reports that Batapa-Segue will be calling for a press conference with Puentevella.
"Personally, I'm so excited because I thought that it will be a press conference of her platform of government because we've never heard or see her platform but, it turns out that she calls for a press conference to be a 'mongerer'," he said.
Bayatan pointed out that this is more of political desperate move of Batapa-Sigue, and she is just looking for issues.
"She should rather call for a press conference, since the election time is fast approaching, for her platform of government and she should not appear to be among the 'mongerer'," Bayatan said.
He said they never take this case as an issue, adding that it is an order of the Ombudsman and it has a long way to go.
Bayatan noted that they can still file a motion for reconsideration or they can go even further in the Supreme Court because nothing is final.
Bayatan said this issue cannot affect the political campaign of Mayor Leonardia because the people of Bacolod always look on the performance of the mayor.
"He's a working mayor and for sure, the people had seen the merit of the mayor's performance. We don't worry about this case and we never even considered it as an issue. Ombudsman case is common to a performer," he said.