By Paulo Loreto Lim

The Office of the Ombudsman recently charged Dingle Vice Mayor Rufino Palabrica III before the Sandiganbayan on four counts of violations to RA 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, in relation to government contracts signed while he was serving as mayor.

The contract with Tri-B Marketing, a company owned by the city official’s wife, Theresa Palabrica, spanned from 2007 to 2009, and was granted various concreting projects that valued around P5.36 million. However, the company was registered under a certain Eden G. Castañeda, previously identified as a resident of nearby San Enrique, who was being used as a “dummy.”

The Ombudsman previously dismissed Palabrica in 2016 over matters pertaining to same company.

The charges were brought forward in relation to Section 3(h) of the law, which pertains to corrupt practices by public officials, wherein officials are prohibited from “directly or indirectly having financial or pecuniary interest in any business, contract, or transaction.”

The Ombudsman recommended the vice mayor be held on P120,000 bail./PLL, WDJ