Pampanga mayor sues water district execs, contractor for graft

ANGELES CITY –– Mayor Carmelo Lazatin Jr. has filed a graft complaint against the officials of the Angeles City Water District (ACWD) and its bulk water contractor at the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for Luzon in Quezon City on Wednesday.

Named respondents in the complaint were ACWD general manager Reynaldo Liwanag; chair Bernardo Cruz; directors Fidelio Sibug, Gracela Munoz, Deogracias Sambilay and Hernando Angeles; contractor Andres Gatbonton, owner of A.M. Gatbonton Drilling Corp. and A.M. Gatbonton Ventures Corp.; and a certain Aleth Cruz.

In an earlier phone interview, Lazatin said the bulk water project was built without permits from the city government, and its terms and conditions were not beneficial to the residents.

Liwanag declined to comment when reached by phone on Wednesday. Other respondents were not immediately available for comments. /lzb