La Castellana Mayor Alme Rhummyla Nicor Mangilimutan said yesterday that she was willing to undergo a lifestyle check, after charges of graft and corruption were filed against her.
“I’m not a perfect mayor, but if they believe they have basis, then they must file charges in the proper venue, and we will face the charges,” Mangilimutan said during a press conference yesterday.
She said the allegations against her are being recycled as the election season is approaching.
Mangilimutan said the claims were hurled by her former colleagues at the municipal government.
The mayor also mentioned some names behind the “politically-motivated” issues.
“The corruption issues hurled against me are the same issues hurled even against my father [incumbent La Castellana Vice Mayor Alberto Nicor, Jr.] who was then the mayor. Until now, we are not proven guilty of any alleged anomaly,” Mangilimutan said.
“Nothing new. Only the people who make the allegations,” she added.
The mayor said that her official trips are within government regulations, and her personal travels are at her own expense.
“They destroy me on social media, but people know how I and my family have helped them,” she said.
Mangilimutan said the donations received during calamities were properly documented and accounted to the intended beneficiaries.
“Nothing got lost. We have records of families that deserve help. We were even cited for the systematic distribution of aid,” she said.
On July 12, Elvin dela Fuente, a former employee of the La Castellana municipal government, filed a case against Mangilimutan for violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Dela Fuente alleged that there were ghost employees in the municipal government.
He claimed that Mangilimutan’s personal staff allegedly received salaries from the local government unit.
He added that he had previously signed a voucher worth P25,000, but only received P5,000 related to the municipal government’s carabao dispersal program.
Dela Fuente, Mangilimutan’s former trusted aide, alleged that 10 other acquaintances were made to sign similar vouchers.
He also requested the Office of the President and the Senate to conduct a lifestyle check on the mayor./WDJ