CAMALIGAN, Camarines Sur – The mayor of this town faces anew a revived complaint of abuse of authority after allegedly purchasing P900,000 worth of medicines without appropriation from the Sangguniang Bayan (SB).

        Sangguniang Kagawad Manoling Moll told the Bicol Mail he and Kagawad Eduardo Loriaga will be filing a complaint in the Office of the Ombudsman against Mayor Paul Prado for abuse of authority.

        Moll said they are reviving the complaint of abuse of authority against the Camaligan Mayor who was earlier charged with the same offense when the latter purchased a Nissan Patrol worth P363,000 in August 12, 2004 without appropriations from the SB but was dismissed upon reaching an amicable settlement.

        This time, however, Moll said only he and Kagawad Loriaga are acting as complainants. He said he did not ask the other councilors to join them. In the previous complaint, other municipal councilors had signed the complaint.

        Moll said Camaligan is a recipient of P5 million as part of the Countryside Development Fund (CDA) from Representative Luis R. Villafuerte. But this fund is intended for infrastructure projects, he said.

        The executive of municipal government should have exercised prudent financial management in these times of budgetary constraints, he explained.

        When Prado purchased the service vehicle in August 12, 2004 without the SB appropriation ordinance and SB authorization, he has violated the law, he said. The SB appropriation was approved on August 18, 2004 which means the vehicle was purchased 6 days before SB has appropriated for it.

        He explained that they have to revive the complaint because the municipal mayor failed to show that he will be abiding with the law after he was given a chance.

        He said the mayor also violated the law when he changed the municipal seal of Camaligan without the approval of SB and the National Historical Institute. Under the law, the municipal seal of Camaligan that was approved in 1995 could not be changed within 10 years. But Mayor Prado had it changed in 2004, he said.

        Moreover, procuring medicines worth P900,000 “was unwise”, the priority should have been given to rehabilitating roads in Tarosanan and San Miguel to prevent soil erosion, he said. Again the procurement of medicines was done without the approval of the SB, he said.

        He also complained that the financial records of disbursements were not being made available to the citizens “upon instruction of the mayor”.

        Bicol Mail tried to contact Prado but as of press time was not available for comment on the charges being leveled against him by the two councilors.