Ex-mayor charged for solemnizing 39 marriages while suspended

For facilitating 39 marriages while he was suspended, a former Norzagaray mayor in Bulacan was charged with usurpation of powers before the Sandiganbayan.

In a statement on Monday, the Ombudsman said it had charged Feliciano Legaspi Sr. with 40 counts of usurpation of powers for solemnizing 39 marriages and issuing a business permit at the time he was suspended by the Ombudsman from December 2012 to June 2013.

Legaspi was ordered suspended after the Ombudsman found him guilty of grave abuse of authority in a separate administrative case.

Under Article 177 of the Revised Penal Code, any person who will knowingly and falsely represent himself to be an officer, agent or representative of any department or agency of the Philippine Government or of any foreign government, or who, under pretense of official position, will perform any act without being lawfully entitled to do so, will suffer imprisonment for usurpation of authority or official functions.

The Ombudsman charged Legaspi with solemnizing the marriages of 39 couples from Dec. 14, 2012 to May 28, 2013.

Legaspi was also charged with issuing a permit for business and licensing to Wacuman Inc. on Feb. 22, 2013. The complainant against Legaspi also said that the Wacuman president and chairperson Noel Lim is Legaspi’s son-in-law, board member Brynne Lim is his grandson and treasurer Artur Legaspi is his son.

The Local Government Code grants the mayor the power to solemnize marriages as part of his or her powers, duties, functions and compensation as chief executive. RAM/rga