FIFTEEN incumbent and former barangay chiefs of Alaminos City in Pangasinan province heaped a slew of criminal charges on mayor Hernani Braganza, running for a gubernatorial post under the Liberal Party of President Benigno Aquino 3rd.

In a 24-page joint complaint-affidavit, 15 local officials from Alaminos slapped Braganza with charges of plunder, graft and malversation, together with 18 individuals over a P5-billion program and project fund that were reportedly delayed and unac-complished until now.

Also charged were Oscar Boling, Earl James Aquino, Joselito Fonte-lera, Constante Carasi, Filemon Bacala Jr., Emerlina Ravarra and Moriah Diorella Ranoy, all of the city council of Alaminos.

Wilmer Panabang, administrator; Shirley de la Cruz, treasurer; Rowena Ruiz, budget officer; Emelyn Acosta, accountant; Ismael Najera and Roel Anonueva, engineers; Supt. Role Saltat, Alaminos chief of police; and Lyndon Millan, employee at the City Public Order and Safety Office, were also implicated.

Two officials of the private firm RR Encabo Constructors Inc., including its president, Ramir Encabo, who is allegedly Braganza’s brother-in-law, were also charged.

According to the complainants, eight projects on top of the P37.78 million unliquidated cash advances remain unfinished long before their expected date of completion.

“Kawawang-kawawa ang Ala-minos [Poor Alaminos],” Ronald Bernas, former chief of Brgy. San Vicente said at a news conference after the filing at the Office of  the Ombudsman.

According to the complaint, the P49-million Alaminos City Hospital was “barely accomplished” despite a project due by June 2010.

The Alaminos City Hotel budgeted at P34 million, was awarded to Encabo Constructors until June 2011 only.

“Without completing the first phase [of the hotel], respondents are already indorsing the 2012 supplemental annual program for the Hundred Islands Hotel and Convention Center [worth] P34.85 million,” the complaint stated.

The expansion of the Pangasinan State University only saw “one building only made with two buildings yet to be done.” The project cost is P10 million.

The airport with project cost of P3.9 billion, has not yet advanced with only “a very rough road that is supposed to be the beginning of the proposed runway and the newly cemented access road” that can be seen.

“Actual clearing operations of the mountainous terrain were made by Encabo Construction in 2010. It is not finished up to now. The clearing operation was abandoned despite the release of P96 million,” the complaint read.

Also, the planned 100 houses for the Gawad Kalinga Eco-village project tagged at $50,000 is still short to completion as only 22 houses were built.

Other projects that suffered setbacks include: the E-Kawayan Project (P31 million); an Olympic-size swimming pool (P8 million), wetland development (P55,812.14); upgrading of the City Plaza (P9.39 million) and repair of Cayucay main road (P10.49 million).

Represented by lawyer Dean Abraham Espejo, the complainants included a P37.79 million unliquidated cash advance, of which P13. 56 million was given to Saltat and P5.22 million was released to Millan also for intelligence fund.

There were also no physical inventory of P426.88-million worth of city property and equipment.
Mario Rabadon, head of Brgy. Victoria, said that they sought audience with Braganza regarding the completion of the projects but “only the employees [of the provincial capitol]” were there.

Braganza ran and was voted as mayor of Alaminos in 2007 under the Lakas party only to bolt the coalition and transfer to the Liberal Party in 2010, where he once again won as the mayor.

In the upcoming 2013 elections, Braganza will be the candidate of the ruling party, who will run against incumbent Gov. Amado Espino Jr. for the gubernatorial race.

Besides Rabadon and Bernas, complainants also include incumbent village chief Samuel Alcantara of brgy. Poblacion, Ronald Bautista (Cayu-gay), Ester Bernal (Amandiego), Victor Rances (Telbang), Jessie Racraquin (Balayang), Trinidad Soriano (San Vicente), Joffrey Orfinada (Panga-pisan), Eusibio Fronda (Baleydaan), Jose Regatcho (Balangobong) and Milagros  Payas (Lando).

Former village chiefs who signed the complaint were Antonio Cortez (Alos), Carlito Ravarra (Lucap) Alex Recosana (Magsaysay).

Alaminos is comprised of  39 villages.