CEBU CITY — Officials of the Dalaguete municipal govern-ment are facing criminal and admi-nistrative com-plaints before the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas over the construction of a government ware-house on private property that was neither purchased nor formally acquired by the town.
The complaint was filed on May 7, 2025, by the heirs of Maria Zambrano, who accused the municipal council of authorizing the P8.1-million project on their 3,939-square meter lot in Barangay Tapon without their con-sent, a deed of sale, building permit, or expropriation proceedings.
The complainants, represented by Jose Rene Moran and Braulio Moran, said they were unaware of the ware-house until it was completed in July 2024, as the land was uninhabited.
They later found a billboard on the site indicating that the project was implemented by the municipality of Da-laguete.
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 RA 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, along with gross negli-gence, 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 un-der the name of Zambrano’s heirs.
A separate complaint had earlier been filed against the town mayor in connection with 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.