The former mayor and incumbent vice mayor of Lambunao, Iloilo were recently charged with graft by the Sandiganbayan after reportedly receiving transportation allowances of a total P90,000 and P83,880, respectively, throughout 2014, which were disallowed by the Commission on Audit (COA).

Former Mayor Reynor Gonzales and current Vice Mayor Cesar Gonzales are being charged in violation of Section 3(e) of RA 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, which bars officials from “giving any private party any unwarranted benefits, advantage, or preference.”

According to the COA, the said allowances are not permitted if an official is provided with government-issued transportation.

To date, the Office of the Ombudsman reports the former mayor has settled P40,400 of his disallowed portion, while the vice mayor has yet to submit any form of repayment.

The mayor has since been succeeded by his son, former Iloilo City Councilor Jason Gonzales, who said, prior to running, “Nobody else in the family but me is interested in running for mayor.”

“That leaves only me to make that try,” he added./PLL, WDJ