MANILA, Philippines – A civil society group has filed graft and other administrative complaints against former Pasig City mayor Robert “Bobby” Eusebio, for allegedly using public funds in the election campaign of his wife when she ran as representative for the 2nd district of Camarines Sur.
According to the Tambuli ng Mamamayan ng Pasig Inc. (TnP) and other Pasig City residents who filed the complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman on Wednesday, Eusebio abused the sister city agreement of Pasig with the town of Pamplona in Camarines Sur.
The link between Pasig and Pamplona was established through a resolution passed by Pasig City council in 2018.
The complainants alleged that when the former mayor’s wife, Maribel Andaya Eusebio, was preparing to run for office as Camarines Sur’s 2nd District representative, the former Pasig mayor allowed Maribel to use personnel and equipment from Pasig City in a medical mission.
“On or about 25 May 2018, respondent Maribel Andaya-Eusebio conducted a supposed medical mission […] which was actually part of her political campaign as the announcement prominently displayed her picture with brother Rolando Andaya Jr. with the slogan: ‘Serbisyong may Puso mula kina: Arch. Maribel Andaya and Atty. Nonoy Andaya’,” the complaint read.
“The intention to gain politically from the event is evident in one of the aforementioned photographs where respondent Maribel Andaya-Eusebio posed flashing their hands in an inverted V fashion to show the A sign, which the Andayas are known to use in their campaigns,” they added.
Another resolution passed in Pasig supposedly allowed the city government to allocate P25 million worth of financial assistance annually to Pamplona, for a period of five years or totaling to P125 million.
“It was on August 24, 2018 that the first Check worth Php25,000,000.00 was delivered to the Municipality of Pamplona after the Disbursement Voucher was signed by then Mayor Robert C. Eusebio on August 22, 2018,” TnP said in its statement.
Aside from the couple, the complainants claimed other officials like incumbent Vice Mayor Iyo Caruncho Bernardo, former and current councilors Rodrigo Asilo, Rhichie Brown, Gregorio Rupisan Jr., Orlando Benito, Regino Balderrama, Rosalio Martires, and Ferdinand Avis also violated Republic Acts No. 3019 and 6713, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.
Pasig’s then city council secretary Wilfredo Sityar, Reynaldo San Buenaventura , and former Pamplona mayor Augustus Cesar M. Cruz III were also included in the list of respondents.
The respondents have not yet issued any statement as of posting time.
Maribel eventually ran against Lray Villafuerte for the congressional seat in the last 2019 elections, but she lost by a margin of 1,693 votes. Her certificate of candidacy was also invalidated by the Commission on Elections after the poll body found out that she was not a registered voter of Pamplona.
Former Pasig mayor Eusebio meanwhile lost to Vico Sotto by more than 87,000 votes, ending the 27-year reign of the Eusebio clan. /muf
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