MABALACAT, Pampanga – The treasurer of Barangay Bundagul here said their former village chief, now Vice Mayor Noelito “Noel” Castro, had used public funds to purchase a 534-square meter property in 1999.
In an interview on Monday night, Bundagul Treasurer Elisa Cunanan said she was ordered by then Barangay Captain Castro to release funds in “several tranches” for the purchase of the property used as basketball court.
She disclosed that Castro paid its owners the amount of P115,000 which had been taken from the funds of Bundagul.
“We have no receipts to prove it. But the then council members, including the kagawads, knew about the use of barangay funds to buy the lot,” said Cunanan.
Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla was about to give P3.5 million for the covered court of the open area when it was discovered that the property had been named after Castro. The senator could not fund the project because the property was named after Castro and not to the barangay.
But Castro said over a phone interview on Monday morning that he had used his own money to buy the lot. He added that he had recently signed a deed of donation, turning over the property to Bundagul.
Castro said that in 1999 the owners of the property had tried to sell it. He added that he had intervened to save the area used for sports and other public activities.
The vice mayor said that former Bundagul barangay councilors had witnessed him pay the property with his own money. He was a barangay captain of Bundagul from 1997 to 2004.
Bundagul residents are planning to sue Castro for malversation of public funds.
