MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / June 19, 2014) – A former town mayor in Kalinga province and his wife were accused of extorting money from a contractor in exchange for the release of payments on a water project during the politician’s tenure.
Ombudsman Conchita Morales has ordered the filing of criminal charges against a former Tabuk mayor Camilo Lammawin Jr and wife Salud for Direct Bribery and violation of The Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
In her 17-page Resolution, Morales said she approved the indictment of the couple after records of the preliminary investigation disclosed that the Lammawins allegedly extorted P520,000 from Rodman Corporation, a contractor of the Tabuk Water Supply Project, in exchange for the release of payments due to the contractor.
Complainant Susan Rodriguez, treasurer of Rodman, said they deposited P100,000 on July 10, 2002 and P300,000 to the personal bank accounts of Lammawin and his wife. And P120,000 on October 21, 2002 to Lammawin’s personal bank account, after Salud made a phone call demanding for the money as it would be used for the purchase of land. In exchange, the Lammawins would facilitate the release of check payment to Rodman amounting to P1,732,260.
Rodman’s construction manager Roy Ragunton stated that the release of the payment would be made only if a “gift” is given to the Mayor “for his personal needs.”
The Resolution found that the Lammawin couple were recipients of cash deposits made by the complainant as they failed to show sufficient proof of entitlement to the amounts deposited.
It added that the acts of the respondents showed conspiracy, “in unity of mind and purpose” in extorting money from the complainant.
There was no immediate statement from the politician and his wife over the accusations.
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