Mayor Alfredo Lim is once again placed under public scrutiny after graft charges were filed against him before the Office of the Ombudsman last April 8, 2010. Lim, along with other Manila officials were said to falsified receipts worth P221, 250.00 in order to carry out a non-existent local affair to acquire money. Lim's former legal adviser, Reynaldo L. Bagatsing filed the graft charges against the Mayor and his allies. In his sworn affidavit, Bagatsing requested for the Ombudsman to place the officials under preventive suspension.
Seven other Manila officials were implicated by Bagatsing in the said anomaly. They are Atty. Rafaelito M. Garayblas, Atty. Analyn T. Marcelo-Buan, Maria Lourdes R. Malulu, Cherry Chao, Cecilia V. Sican, Leanie S. Sanding, and Vicky R. Valientes. Bagatsing noted in his affidavit that Lim and the other officials altered the original receipts given by Angel's Burger House during their transaction. The plaintiff also said that the Manila officials conspired to make it appear that the Barangay Bureau held a city wide assembly called Barangay Peace Keeping Action Team last August 27, 2009, which Bagatsing have affirmed as a non-existent affair.
Bagatsing outlined in his complaint how this Manila government anomaly came into fruition. Accordingly, during the reimbursement process, the officials allegedly turn in a voucher indicating that 5,500 pieces of cheeseburgers were consumed by the participants in the fabricated assembly. Bagatsing took note that a small burger joint like that of Angel's is not capable of producing such large number of orders, as deliveries like that could be finished in 15 days. To make matters worse based from the inspection report filed on October 19, 2009, which was certified by Cecilia V. Sican, Inspector of the City General Services Office (CGSO), the original receipt numbers provided by the burger joint were 0066 and 0067, a far cry from the receipts and reimbursement voucher handed by the perpetrators to the city treasurer of Manila which were 0214 and 0215.
Due to the forged documents presented by the officials to the city treasurer of Manila during the reimbursement process, they were able to obtain P221, 250.00. Hence, it is apparent that the involved Manila officials committed malversation and falsification or articles 217 and 171 of the revised penal code respectively. This Manila government anomaly well exemplified that such release of government funds for liquidation associated with the alleged city wide Barangay Peace Keeping Action Team did not conduct the required bidding, proving that the officials failed to adhere to Section 367 of Republic Act No. 7160 (R.A. 7160), otherwise referred to as the local government code of 1991. It should be taken into consideration that the amount disembursed and reimbursed by the officials surmount the required amount indicated by Section 367 of R.A. 7160, which specifically points that only P150, 000.00 should be allotted for the procurement of supplies in one month period for all local units of Metropolitan Manila area.
The former legal counsel of Alfredo Lim brought him into charges as he was represented in the said transaction by his secretary Rafaelito Garayblas. Garayblas notably signed the falsified documents with Lim's consent, which in turn gives the Manila officials the permission to facilitate the anomalous activities. Lim may not have directly signed the said documents, but it must be taken into account that the authorization of his secretary also means that he unscrupulous act was done with his consent. Nonetheless, considering that Garayblas directly report to Lim, it is apparent that the Mayor condoned such transaction.
With the election already nearing, graft charges are the last thing that any person running for office would wish to be associated with. Mayor Alfredo Lim, like any other government official, was placed in the position because people trust him. However, the alleged illegal activity that he and his allies were involved with can affect the trust that the people have given him. It is therefore an imperative for these officials to clarify this issue so as not to tarnish the reputations that they have taken care off for a long time.
Mayor Alfredo Lim and some of his allies are facing graft charges for violating the falsification and malversation law after they allegedly conspire to forge receipts from Angel's Burger House to procure government funds. Reynaldo Bagatsing presented several evidences against this Manila government anomaly, and called for the Ombudsman to place the officials under preventive suspension. Lim was involved in the lawsuit, as he was represented by his secretary Rafaelito Garayblas, who signed the false documents with his consent.
Seven other Manila officials were implicated by Bagatsing in the said anomaly. They are Atty. Rafaelito M. Garayblas, Atty. Analyn T. Marcelo-Buan, Maria Lourdes R. Malulu, Cherry Chao, Cecilia V. Sican, Leanie S. Sanding, and Vicky R. Valientes. Bagatsing noted in his affidavit that Lim and the other officials altered the original receipts given by Angel's Burger House during their transaction. The plaintiff also said that the Manila officials conspired to make it appear that the Barangay Bureau held a city wide assembly called Barangay Peace Keeping Action Team last August 27, 2009, which Bagatsing have affirmed as a non-existent affair.
Bagatsing outlined in his complaint how this Manila government anomaly came into fruition. Accordingly, during the reimbursement process, the officials allegedly turn in a voucher indicating that 5,500 pieces of cheeseburgers were consumed by the participants in the fabricated assembly. Bagatsing took note that a small burger joint like that of Angel's is not capable of producing such large number of orders, as deliveries like that could be finished in 15 days. To make matters worse based from the inspection report filed on October 19, 2009, which was certified by Cecilia V. Sican, Inspector of the City General Services Office (CGSO), the original receipt numbers provided by the burger joint were 0066 and 0067, a far cry from the receipts and reimbursement voucher handed by the perpetrators to the city treasurer of Manila which were 0214 and 0215.
Due to the forged documents presented by the officials to the city treasurer of Manila during the reimbursement process, they were able to obtain P221, 250.00. Hence, it is apparent that the involved Manila officials committed malversation and falsification or articles 217 and 171 of the revised penal code respectively. This Manila government anomaly well exemplified that such release of government funds for liquidation associated with the alleged city wide Barangay Peace Keeping Action Team did not conduct the required bidding, proving that the officials failed to adhere to Section 367 of Republic Act No. 7160 (R.A. 7160), otherwise referred to as the local government code of 1991. It should be taken into consideration that the amount disembursed and reimbursed by the officials surmount the required amount indicated by Section 367 of R.A. 7160, which specifically points that only P150, 000.00 should be allotted for the procurement of supplies in one month period for all local units of Metropolitan Manila area.
The former legal counsel of Alfredo Lim brought him into charges as he was represented in the said transaction by his secretary Rafaelito Garayblas. Garayblas notably signed the falsified documents with Lim's consent, which in turn gives the Manila officials the permission to facilitate the anomalous activities. Lim may not have directly signed the said documents, but it must be taken into account that the authorization of his secretary also means that he unscrupulous act was done with his consent. Nonetheless, considering that Garayblas directly report to Lim, it is apparent that the Mayor condoned such transaction.
With the election already nearing, graft charges are the last thing that any person running for office would wish to be associated with. Mayor Alfredo Lim, like any other government official, was placed in the position because people trust him. However, the alleged illegal activity that he and his allies were involved with can affect the trust that the people have given him. It is therefore an imperative for these officials to clarify this issue so as not to tarnish the reputations that they have taken care off for a long time.
Mayor Alfredo Lim and some of his allies are facing graft charges for violating the falsification and malversation law after they allegedly conspire to forge receipts from Angel's Burger House to procure government funds. Reynaldo Bagatsing presented several evidences against this Manila government anomaly, and called for the Ombudsman to place the officials under preventive suspension. Lim was involved in the lawsuit, as he was represented by his secretary Rafaelito Garayblas, who signed the false documents with his consent.
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