Mabinay Mayor Inosario Baldoza is filing charges before the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas against Local Civil Registrar Officer Herminia Peras who was allegedly responsible for the theft of scrap materials from the bodega owned by the municipal government.

Baldoza said the National Bureau of Investigation has named Peras and a civilian identified as Brenda Alama.  The two suspects will be charged with theft, he said.

Baldoza said the investigation conducted by NBI claimed that no other employees were involved. But Baldoza said he will dig deeper and identify the possible accomplices who should also be held liable.

Peras was reported to be the one who borrowed the bodega key from Emma Niaga, an employee from the Municipal Engineers Office, before the materials were discovered missing. 

Peras, in her affidavit, claimed that she was only conducting an inventory of the scrap materials inside the bodega on the instructions of Baldoza. She denied being involved in the theft.

An earlier report said the total volume of the stolen scrap materials including some of the vehicle engine that are still serviceable totaled about P2 million.

The said stolen materials were recovered from the shop of scrap buyer Jimwell Abueva where, Baldoza said, some of the items had been buried underground. He said the scrap buyer promised to cooperate with the government and is willing to testify in court.

Baldoza said what they have achieved so far can prove to the people of Mabinay that he is doing something to solve the alleged theft of government property. He strongly denied allegations of some of his political opponents that he is trying to cover up the real culprit.

The mayor was dragged into the controversy after his name was floated as the mastermind of the incident. He immediately reacted to the reports stating that his 18 years in public services are not worth the scrap iron. He said he believes the people responsible for the rumors are his political opponents who were trying to destroy his name.

Meanwhile, some members of religious groups in Mabinay will hold a protest rally in front of the municipal hall on Friday, asking for justice on the case from the municipal government.

The groups will ask local officials not to hide the truth and punish those who violated the law.

Baldoza said he is thankful for the vigilance of the people in his town, but he is also saddened at the involvement of some church leaders who accused him of not doing anything to address the issue.*MA

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