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BY ADRIAN STEWART CO
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Saturday, February 4, 2017
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MANILA – The Sandiganbayan ordered the 90-day suspension of Vice Mayor Maria Cielo Martinez of Bogo City, Cebu for allegedly misusing P11.5 million in Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) allocated for her mother.
Martinez violated Section 13 of Republic Act 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corruption Practices Act, the anti-graft court’s Sixth Division noted in a resolution released late Thursday.
The case stemmed from Martinez’s alleged conspiracy with her mother and former Cebu representative Clavel Martinez, brother and former Sangguniang Panlalawigan member Celestino Martinez III, and four others in the disbursement of the PDAF in 2003.
The PDAF allocation of then Representative Martinez was coursed through the local government of Bogo, which in turn issued a check from Land Bank of the Philippines payable to Girl Scout of the Philippines-Cebu treasurer in September 2003.
The payment was for the “financial assistance for its campaign against illegal drugs,” but it was learned in October 2003 that the check was deposited to BPI-Cebu Capitol bearing the account number 9063-0451-92.
Just a week since the check was deposited, Vice Mayor Martinez withdrew the entire amount and deposited P10 million to BPI account number 9663-0063-01, which was named under Representative Martinez.
In the same decision, the Sandiganbayan junked the argument of Vice Mayor Martinez that she was not yet a public official when the alleged fund misuse happened.
She was earlier arraigned for the two cases where she pleaded not guilty.
“The term ‘office’ in Section 13 of the law applies to any office which the officer might currently be holding and not necessarily the particular office in relation to which he is charged,” the resolution stated.
On Friday Department of the Interior and Local Government secretary Ismael Sueno ordered that the suspension order be served on Vice Mayor Martinez./PN
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