Bohol 1st District Rep. Edgar M. Chatto, his wife and Mayor Pureza Chatto of Bililihan town, and three other persons have been charged administratively and criminally in connection with the two dismantled waterwork projects in 2021.
The complaint was contained in an affidavit filed by Emmanual B. Ramasola as representative of the Bohol Clean Water Alliance (BCWA) and received by the OMB last Nov. 23.
Aside from the Chatto espouses, also charged were Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) District Engineers Francis Antonio L. Flores and John Paul T. Gascon; and Ja Achacoso Enterprises and General Services proprietor Joniever A. Achacoso.
None of those named in the complaints could be contracted for comment. Manila Bulletin will publish their comments when filed officially before the OMB.
The complaint stated that the funds for the two waterwork projects for the municipality of Balilihan for P78,044,295.53 and P67,450,000 were secured by Congressman Chatto.
However, the complaint alleged that following the completion and turnover of the projects to Mayor Chatto, the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) conducted an ocular inspection which “led to a pivotal discovery that, contrary to the specifications laid out in the contracts, the projects were actually constructed in Sevilla, a municipality located within the third district of Bohol, outside the jurisdiction of Balilihan where the projects were initially designated.”
The complaint alleged: “Mayor Pureza was aware of this fact because she informed the Mayor of Sevilla about it but did not file an application for the appropriate permits. Further, Respondent John Paul Gascon specifically admitted to the Complainant in a meeting held in Club Filipino San Juan Metro Manila prior the filing of this Complaint that no one among the DPWH and the workers of the contractor were aware that the project was actually being performed in another town. Indeed, Mayor Pureza and Congressman Chatto were complicit in not informing the contractor and the DPWH of this crucial mistake,"
It also alleged that the mayor of Sevilla town ordered in 2022 the dismantling of the “illegal waterworks” after Mayor Chatto ignored demands from the municipality of Sevilla to remove the installations.
“As a matter of fact, in a letter dated May 30, 2022 the mayor of Sevilla informed Respondent Pureza Chatto expressing surprise that the construction of the illegal waterworks continued in spite her orders to stop as early as the last quarter of 2021,” the complaint alleged.
“In light of the unwarranted dismantlement, a consequential financial loss has been incurred pertaining to the implemented waterworks projects,” it claimed.
Also, the complaint alleged that technical malversation occurred since public funds were “ostensibly misapplied by being expanded on unauthorized constructions within the Municipality of Sevilla.”
On graft charge, the complaint alleged that there is also a violation of Section 3(e) of RA 3019 since: “The act of arbitrarily and without justification constructing the waterworks in Sevilla, contrary to the lawfull mandate, and in the subsequent negligence leading to the dismantlement of the projects, have culminated in undue injury to various parties, including the government.”
The complaint asked the OMB to charge the five respondents in court and to impose administrative sanctions against them including suspension and dismissal from government service.