Former Narvacan, Ilocos Sur mayor Luis "Chavit" C. Singson slammed as “baseless and malicious” the graft and plunder charges filed against him before the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) on Monday, Oct. 20.

In a statement, Singson – also a former governor of Ilocos Sur -- said the accusations made against him are "completely devoid of truth and fact" and allegedly concocted by his “political detractors.”

The complaint, which was filed by Warriors Ti Narvacan, Inc. and several town residents, accused Singson and other persons of profiting from the reported privatization of a foreshore land known as "Santorini" in Narvacan and the alleged overpriced purchase of a property from Western Textile Mills, Inc. for P149.96 million.

But Singson said the “facts’ only prove the opposite. He said that the fair market value of the purchased property at the time of the sale was established at 8,000 per square meter, or a total of about P800 million for a 10-hectare parcel of land.

"I willingly sold this property to the municipality of Narvacan for a mere P120 million," he said. "This transaction resulted in a personal loss of approximately P680 million on my part, demonstrating a substantial act of assistance, not an attempt to profit or plunder," he said.

He also said: "My sole intent was to sincerely help our municipality. Furthermore, to underscore this intent, I arranged the entire transaction and opted not to immediately transfer the title to prevent any future issues like double-selling, treating it purely as aid."

The price of the land in the area is about P20,000 per square-meters or about P2 billion, he said. Thus, given the price in which the municipality purchased the said property, Singson said the local government earned "a massive gain" and not a loss as the complaint against him alleged.

At the same time, Singson said the complainant, Estelita "Tili" D. Cordero, is the first cousin of his political rival who he previously defeated in Narvacan.

He also said: "Atty. Cordero has a history of harassing me and repeatedly soliciting financial contributions. I have, on numerous occasions, given money through various intermediaries just to appease her requests. The filing of this complaint appears to be a direct act of retaliation after I refused her most recent demand."

In his statement, Singson also urged Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla to take a hard look at the facts of the complaint, as the claim of P49 million zonal value is "nothing short of foolishness, clearly done by an attack dog who is heavily funded."

He assured his full cooperation “to expose this complaint as a political deception it truly is."

The second complaint filed against Singson was for alleged violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act with administrative charges for alleged grave misconduct, abuse of authority, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

The complaint arose from the alleged illegal occupation and privatization of the foreshore area in Sulvec, Narvacan known as "Santorini." They were accused of constructing structures without permits or environmental clearance.