Ex-CamSur mayor faces falsification raps

Map of Camarines Sur showing the location of Caramoan (Photo by Mike Gonzalez (TheCoffee) – English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0)

MANILA — Former Caramoan, Camarines Sur Mayor Constantino Cordial Jr. is facing criminal complaints before the Sandiganbayan for his alleged involvement in falsification of municipal resolutions in 2014.

In the charge sheet filed by the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for Luzon, Cordial is facing two counts of falsification of official documents, which is defined and penalized under Article 171 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC).

The charges stemmed from two resolutions dated March 24, 2014 where Cordial made it appear that then Councilors Eduardo Bonita, Lydia Obias and Francis Benemerito “participated” and “attended” the deliberations on the official documents.

The two resolutions were in connection with the local government’s request to former President Benigno “Noynoy” S. Aquino III and then Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II for the immediate removal of Task Force Sagip Kalikasan.

Cordial also claimed that the resolutions were unanimously approved by all members of the municipal council.

Also named as respondents were former Vice Mayor Irene Breis and the then municipal secretary Danilo Belleza.

Graft probers recommended a total bail bond of PHP48,000 for said case of Cordial and his co-accused.

(PNA)