Reelected Cagayan De Oro City Mayor Oscar Moreno was suspended by the Ombudsman as he faces a graft charge for allegedly entering into a lease contract without the prior approval of the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
In a statement on Friday, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales said she ordered the filing of graft for violations of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act against Moreno and city budget officer Percy Salazar and city accountant Beda Joy Elot.
The graft charge stemmed from a lease contract that Moreno allegedly entered into in 2013 to house its “Sports Development Program for Professional and Amateur Boxing.”
Ombudsman investigations showed that the city disbursed P175,000 worth of rental payments for the lease contract entered into without prior authority from the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
“Moreno did not secure authority from the SP (Sangguniang Panlungsod) CDO before entering into a contract in blatant disregard of the provisions of the Local Government Code [Republic Act no. 7160],” Morales said.
Under Section 3(e) of R.A. No. 3019, public officials are prohibited from causing any undue injury to any party, including the government, or giving any private party any unwarranted benefits, advantage or preference in the discharge of his official administrative or judicial functions through manifest partiality, evident bad faith or gross inexcusable negligence.
Meanwhile, the Ombudsman also found the three guilty of simple misconduct and were thus ordered suspended from office for three months without pay.
The Ombudsman directed the Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government to implement the decision. RAM/rga
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