Anti-graft court suspends Bacolod City mayor

The Sandiganbayan’s Fourth Division granted the prosecution’s motion to suspend Bacolod City Mayor Monico Puentevella pending litigation of the graft charge filed against him in connection with the alleged overpriced purchase of information technology (IT) packages using his pork barrel fund.

In an eight-page resolution promulgated on September 28, the court held that the suspension of a public officer pending criminal prosecution under a valid graft charge is mandatory under Section 13 of the anti-graft law.