Cagayan congressman files criminal raps vs gov

By Vice Jacob Visaya

TUGUEGARAO CITY -- Cagayan Gov. Manuel Mamba, his wife and nephew and provincial heads were slapped with charges for plunder, malversation of public funds, graft and grave misconduct prejudicial to the best interest of service over their allegedly illegal distribution of P550-million assistance at the height of the campaign period from March 25 to May 9 this year.
    Indicted before the Ombudsman for plunder and malversation of public funds were Mamba, his wife Mabel, his nephew Francisco 3rd and department heads — treasurer Mila Mallonga, social welfare and development officer Helen Donato, provincial administrator Darwin Sacramed, accountant Jeana Garma, budget officer Reynauld Raul Ramirez and agriculturist Pearlita Lucia Mabasa.
    The charges were filed on June 24 but details were publicly released to the media only on June 29.
    Complaints against the respondents for grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of service were also filed against Gov. Mamba, Mallonga, Donato, Sacramed, Garma, Ramirez and Mabasa.
    Cagayan Rep. Joseph Lara, Vice Gov. Melvin Vargas Jr., Board Member Rosauro Resuello and Lara's chief of staff-lawyer Victorio Casauay filed the charges against the respondents.
    The governor's lawyer-wife, Mabel, ran but lost to Lara in the congressional derby, while Francisco 3rd also lost in the race for vice governor.
    The governor won over Lara's wife, Zarah, for his third consecutive term.
    The complainants estimated that the P550 million was used to buy off at P1,000 each registered voter during the campaign period.
    They cited Section 261 of the Omnibus Election Code, which "prohibits the release, disbursement or expenditure of public funds 45 days before regular elections."
    The complainants also cited Section 2 of Commission on Elections (Comelec) Resolution 10747, which bars public officials, "including barangay (village) leaders, and those of government-owned or controlled corporations and their subsidiaries" from expending public funds for both infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects.
    They also cited Section 14 of the same Comelec resolution, which says "candidates, party-list nominees, their spouses and members of their family within the second civil degree of affinity or consanguinity are strictly prohibited from participating, directly or indirectly, in the distribution of cash, goods and merchandise for scholarships, assistance for burial, health care, calamity and other similar programs."
    Mamba allegedly used Oplan Tulong Barangay and No Barangay, No Town Left Behind programs as reasons for disbursing funds for assistance, the complainants said.
    "This massive scale of illegal use and disbursement of public funds begun at the onset of the campaign period was orchestrated to undermine the results of the elections and solicit votes" for Mamba, who ran and won his third consecutive term.
    Lara and Casauay earlier got a temporary restraining order (TRO) for the stoppage of the fund assistance during the campaign period "but it was not acted upon."
    The TRO, however, had been rendered moot after the elections, and the assistance distribution was already stopped.
    Lara also earlier called for an inquiry in aid of legislation into the alleged inaction of the Commission on Elections on "the open and massive distribution of cash and other forms of assistance to registered voters and barangay during the campaign period."
    Mamba said he was yet to receive and read a copy of the complaints but he surmised that the allegations were caused by their release of Covid-19 assistance to villagers.
    "Legal cases are part of our lives as politicians. I never saw P500 million in my entire life," he also said.
    Casauay, Lara's chief of staff, said the cash assistance distribution during the campaign period was a "stark violation of election and graft laws.
    "Even a duly issued TRO was not followed then, which came from the court. It is another violation," he added.