Husband to replace suspended Cebu mayor

CEBU CITY—A mayor of a Cebu town, suspended pending her trial for a graft case, will be replaced by her husband, her vice mayor.

Mayor Cynthia Moreno, of Aloguinsan town, was ordered suspended by the Sandiganbayan pending her trial for the purchase of construction materials in 2007 without public bidding.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) enforced the suspension order which was served on Cynthia by Anianas Villacorta, DILG director for Central Visayas, while Cynthia and her husband, Vice Mayor Augustus Moreno, were in a two-day seminar.

Augustus will take his wife’s place, being the town’s vice mayor.

Several other officials of the town were ordered suspended.

Cynthia and the other officials face trial for graft for buying construction materials for the new municipal hall of Aloguinsan without public bidding in 2007.

Felimon Georsua Jr., former town councilor, filed the case against Cynthia. Under Cynthia, the municipal government awarded a contract to purchase the materials to Diamond Interior Industries Corp.

Georsua, in his complaint, accused Cynthia of trying to conceal the irregularity by falsifying certificates of canvas from other bidders.