Dalaguete officials face charges over warehouse project

Local

SEVERAL officials of the Dalaguete municipal government are facing criminal and administrative complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas for allegedly constructing a government warehouse on private property that the town never purchased or legally acquired.

The complaint was lodged on Thursday, May 7, by the heirs of Maria Zambrano, who claimed that their 3,939-square meter lot in Barangay Tapon was used without consent, a deed of sale, building permit, or court-sanctioned expropriation.

Representatives of the complainants, Jose Rene Moran and Braulio Moran, said they only discovered the warehouse in July 2024, after the project was completed, since the property had remained idle and unoccupied.

They later noticed a project billboard on the site, which identified the P8.1 million warehouse as a project of the Municipality of Dalaguete.

Their legal counsel, Joey Borinaga, said the local government went ahead with the construction even after the heirs wrote to the mayor expressing their refusal to sell the property.

Borinaga added that no sale or legal transfer took place, yet the structure was built and publicly funded.

According to Borinaga, the Sangguniang Bayan included in its March 10, 2025, session an item for the release of funds for the alleged property purchase.

Despite receiving a formal letter from the heirs opposing the acquisition, the council reportedly approved the fund release on April 28, 2025. The ordinance, however, did not specify the amount.

Borinaga questioned why the council would authorize the release of funds for a property whose owners had already refused to sell and without clearly stating the budget.

He described the move as highly irregular and lacking transparency.

The complaint cited violations of Republic Act No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, along with gross negligence, serious misconduct, and serious dishonesty.

The complainants also attached official receipts from the Dalaguete Treasurer’s Office proving they paid real property taxes for 2023 and 2024.

A certification from the Municipal Assessor was also submitted, affirming that the lot remains registered under the name of Zambrano's heirs.

A separate complaint had earlier been filed against the town mayor in connection to the same issue.

The mayor had dismissed the allegations as politically motivated and maintained that the issue was under evaluation at the Ombudsman, with concerned agencies having already submitted their responses.

As of this writing, the respondents have yet to release a statement.(MyTVCebu)