CamSur mayor dismissed over anomalous lease deal

Baao, Camarines Sur Mayor Melquiades Gaite (Center; Photo from the official website of the Department of Agriculture at https://bicol.da.gov.ph/index.php/news/735-outstanding-corn-program-implementers-honored-in-national-corn-congress)

MANILA — Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales has dismissed Baao, Camarines Sur, Mayor Melquiades Gaite for irregularities in a 25-year lease deal for the town’s public market.

The Ombudsman meted out the penalty as she found Gaite guilty of the administrative offenses of grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, according to a Tuesday statement by her media bureau.

Morales directed the Department of the Interior and Local Government to implement the ruling.

Investigation showed that in May 2014, Gaite entered into a 25-year lease contract with the Lamvert Consolidated Complex Development Corporation over a portion of the Baao public market building covering 1,704 square meters.

The Ombudsman said Gaite failed to show the lease had the prior authorization of the Sangguniang Bayan as required by the Local Government Code.

She also faulted the mayor for violating Municipal Ordinance No. 3, which has provided that lease contracts should not exceed five years.

Noting Gaite was “a veteran local chief executive with almost two decades of experience,” the Ombudsman held that the violation “amounts to a transgression of some established and definite rule of action.”

Gaite was also found to have failed to enforce the provision on “goodwill money” for the lease deal.

Under the provision, the town was supposed to receive P1.719 million from the lessee, with 70 percent going to a trust fund for the development of facilities and the remaining 30 percent serving as deposit.

“Clearly, respondent committed a corrupt act that would classify his misconduct as grave,” Morales ruled.  SFM/rga