Beja says city hall behind Elot’s complaint

By LITO RULONA
Correspondent

PUNTOD barangay chairman Marvin Beja has maintained his innocence as he called the graft complaint filed against him by city accountant Beda Joy Elot.

He also accused city hall of being behind the graft complaint as a form of retaliation.

“They want to take revenge,” said Beja.

The barangay chairman was behind another graft case that resulted in a decision by the Office of the Ombudsman to suspend Elot, city budget officer Percy Salazar and Mayor Oscar Moreno for simple misconduct. The Court of Appeals (CA) recently upheld the ombudsman’s ruling to suspend Elot and Salazar for 90 days. Moreno was merely ordered to pay a fine for the lease of a house in Macasandig for boxers without the city council’s approval.

Beja said his case was what prompted Elot to sue him, too.

But he maintained that the release of funds, amounting to some P500 thousand, to barangay officials and employees last year was legal. The funds were allegedly released in the form of bonuses four times in 2015.

Beja said there was no disallowance from Commission on Audit (COA).

Elot charged Beja with conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the public service, dishonesty and grave misconduct.

“Nasagulan kini og personal ang ilang case nga gi-file sa akoa. Paingon kini sa mga tawo ang atong gisunod,” he said.

Beja also laughed off Elot’s complaint, saying it was a “common” case against barangay officials

“Dili lamang ako nga barangay ang mihimo niini. Naa pa’y uban, apan ako ilang gi-single out. Posible kini sa uban nga kapitan nga ilang kontra,” he said.

Beja said he received the ombudsman’s order for him to answer Elot’s complaint on Friday, and that he was consulting a lawyer so that he could submit his reply within the 10-day period.

He said his plan is to file a detailed counter-affidavit to show the ombudsman that there was no irregularity in Barangay Puntod’s disbursement of funds.