Asturias mayor faces graft raps

Asturias Mayor Alan Adlawan is facing graft, malversation and perjury cases before the Office of the Ombudsman for Visayas for an unfinished project in 2010 worth P1.67 million.

In a written complaint to Ombudsman Pelagio Apostol, Mark Paulus Noel alleged that Adlawan and the Asturias municipal engineer failed to finish a sports facility in barangay Langub, Asturias (composed of an oval running track with a field that can host football, softball and baseball events) after three years.

In his statement, Noel said the project contractor Oregon Timber was given P750 thousand for the materials of the project on September 2010.

The following month, he said the materials were delivered and accepted by the office of the municipal engineer.

According to him, the sports facility that was supposed to be used for the Provincial Sports Meet held in October 2010 was not completed on time.

Again, Asturias hosted the same event in November 2012 but the project still was not completed, said Noel.

The project was declared 65 percent finished in the town’s annual Accomplishment Report. However, Noel said the materials purchased from Oregon Timber still were not installed.

Asturias municipal treasurer Emma Baliguat released approximately P1,670,100 on September 27, 2010 from the town’s 20 percent Development Fund.

Noel said the lot used for the project was donated by Adlawan. However, he said the deed of donation does not contain the specific area of the donated lot.

Lastly, Noel accused Adlawan of using heavy equipment owned by the town to excavate soil from the track oval and selling it to Tsuneishi Heavy Industries, where the mayor is a contractor.

The mayor was charged with RA 3019 otherwise known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and the Malversation of Public Funds under Article 217 of the Revises Penal Code

Adlawan was reelected in the May 13 poll with running mate Joel Dumdum under the One Cebu Party./With reports from Correspondent Renan Alangilan