CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – A complaint for grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service against San Simon, Pampanga Mayor Abundio “JP” Punsalan Jr. has been filed before the Office of the Ombudsman.
A copy of the 8-page complaint filed by RealSteel Corp. last Aug. 19 and obtained by Punto! on Aug. 26, accused Punsalan of demanding P80 million in exchange of the mayor “not revoking or causing to overturn Municipal Ordinance No. 24-0025 passed by the previous sangguniang bayan which granted tax incentives to our company.”
The complainants are identified as Irwin Chua and Melodie Arellano representing RealSteel Corp.
They said the administrative complaint is the next step following the Aug. 5 entrapment operation conducted by operatives from the Intelligence Service of the National Bureau of Investigation at Café Mesa in the Clark Freeport Zone where Punsalan was caught in flagrante delicto extorting P30 million of the demanded amount.
“Respondent Punsalan failed to observe the norms required of his public office by demanding money from representatives of a steel plant located in San Simon, Pampanga.
Mayor Punsalan should have restrained himself in demanding and accepting substantial amounts of money that redound to his private gain, disregarding public interest,” the complaint read.
“Mayor Punsalan’s conduct impaired the good image of government office that serves the public. Instead, Mayor Punsalan left an impression that public office is used as a tool for private gain to the detriment of honest entrepreneurs.
His act of extracting money serves as a deterrent for private investments not only in San Simon, but possibly in the whole province of Pampanga,” it furthered.
Citing, for the record, that Punsalan had already served four preventive suspension orders, the complainant asked that this should be considered by the Ombudsman in assessing the “moral depravity of the Respondent.”
“The audacity of Respondent Punsalan to violate code of ethics and anti-graft and corruption laws should be penalized by this honorable office,” the complaint read.
Punto News Team
