Ex-Mayor Marino Morales and ex-administrator Atty. Emmanuel Ignacio
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — Former Mabalacat City Administrator Emmanuel Ignacio confirmed during his interview in the radio program “Brigada” 92.7FM last month that a plunder case had been filed against former mayor Marino “Boking” Morales and 15 others.
Ignacio, who served as city administrator under Mayor Crisostomo Garbo until late 2021, said the case was filed on Jan. 19, 2019 before the Ombudsman by two officers of the Mabalacat City Traffic Enforcement Group (MCTEG).
He added that they lodged the plunder case before the Ombudsman although the the sangguniang panlungsod then led by former Vice Mayor Christian Halili did not give them authority to file the case.
“Despite po na hindi kami nakakuha ng authority (sa SP), nag-file po kami ng plunder case sa Ombudsman last Jan. 19, 2019,” Ignacio said, adding that the case title was “SANTOS, YOUNG VS MARINO MORALES et al.”
The case was based on findings of an investigation Ignacio hImself headed in 2018 indicating that some P92 million worth of infrastructure projects reported by the Morales administration were actually projects funded and done by the Department of Public Works and Highways.
“Talagang ginawa po ng DPWH, so talagang ghost (project) talaga,” said Ignacio, furthering that there were other “ghost projects” in 2017 which payments had been stopped.
In January this year, Morales posted in his Facebook page a clearance from the Ombudsman certifying that the graft office had no records of any pending criminal and administrative cases against him as of 18 December 2019.
The clearance was issued December 19, 2019 upon Morales’ request for retirement purposes.
“For the information of my fellow Mabalacaños This certification issued by no less than the Ombudsman, dated, Dec 19, 2019 is self-explanatory,” noted Morales in his post.
