San Pedro decries graft case as mere “squid tactics”

The Muntinlipa City government yesterday dismissed the graft cases filed by a former official against Mayor Aldrin San Pedro and 15 city councilors as nothing more than a “squid tactic” purportedly to conceal the extortion and other illegal acts that he committed while working as head of the city’s bids and awards secretariat.

Omar Acosta, city’s public information chief, said Abel Sumabat, who claimed to have acted as “bagman” for the respondent city officials in the graft case he filed with the Ombudsman, is himself facing at least six criminal cases before the city prosecutors  office involving, among others, extortion, estafa and malversation of public funds.

Three of the cases were filed against Sumabat by private contractors from whom he allegedly extorted close to  P5 million by making misrepresentation that the money is for “special operations procedure  ” (SOP) to ensure that the contracts will eventually be awarded to them.

But when his promise did not materialize, the contractors decided to file charges against Sumabat, Acosta said.

Sensing that his anomalous acts were about to be discovered, Sumabat promptly resigned on February 2012. Fearing indictment, he then turned the table against the city officials by filing the graft case and even sought state protection through the Witness Protection Program.    

“It appears that (Sumabat) is indeed a bagman but only for himself,” Acosta said. “He used his office as head of the BAC secretariat enrich himself.”

“It’s, therefore, obvious that Sumabat filed the graft case only as smoke screen to hide his own guilt,” Acosta added. “Worse, is that some politicians are exploiting the situation by coddling Sumabat, hoping to gain from its outcome.

In addition, a careful reading of the case will reveal that most of the charges made by Sumabat were most rehash versions of cases that had been previously dismissed by the Ombudsman such as those pertaining to purchase of trolley bags and various infrastructure projects.

Respondent city officials are confident that truth will come out and they will be eventually vindicated. 

In another development, the city legal office and lawyer for the respondent city officials, Atty Leonard De Vera, sought the removal of Sumabat in the WPP, saying that Sumabat is not a credible witness for the state, citing the numerous cases that so far have been filed against him.

“Truly, there is no greater irony that to have a corrupt former government employee use the agencies of the government to protect himself from the very State he defrauded,” De Vera said in his letter to Justice Secretary Leila De Lima.

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  1. Muntinlupeno Naisahan says:

    Wag nyo ng ipagtanggol ang ABUSADO at KURAKOT na magamang SAN PEDRO, magkano kaya tinatanggap ng ACOSTA na ito para i NEW BLOCK OUT ang tunay na NANGYAYARI sa MUNTINLUPA. Maawa naman kayo !!! Mga GANID at MAGNANAKAW !!!

  2. Anonymous says:

    Don’t shoot the messenger, but the message … Di naman siguro magpapaloko ang Ombudsman para hindi imbestigahan ang mga nangyayayari… May katototohanan ito at pinapatunayan lang nito ang mga PLUNDER CASE na na file dati, ngayon kumanta na ang taga gawa ng dokumento dahil hindi napartehan o tinalo ng swapang na MAYOR

  3. Diego Acosta says:

    This only strengthen the PLUNDER CASE filed by a certain Ariel Dolleton way back.. There is a TRUTH on this case, We the residents of Muntinlupa can no longer take the GREEDINESS of our CORRUPT Mayor and Father

  4. aldrin legaspi says:

    Another case of PLUNDER Muntinlupa Mayor ALDRIN SAN PEDRO and other City officials Overpriced and Tainted with Irregularities over P600 million that were given the contract to his relatives and close friends.

    Justice must be served for Righteousness and Good Governance to thrive in our City.

  5. aldrin legaspi says:

    The Documents will speak for it self.. Mr. Acosta’s statements are unecessary, speculative, immaterial and can’t be accepted as evidence just mere he press releases this and that against Mr. Sumabat. Remember this is very good example of WHO ARE TELLING THE TRUTH,

    ABEL SUMABAT – Filed numerous complaint Affidavit with Annexes of Documentary Evidences. Or;

    Mr. Omar Acosta – Who rebutted the complaint by mere press statement.

    The difference between the two is that prima facie is a term meaning there is enough evidence for there to be a case to answer in the court of Law.

    Finally, Mr. Sumabat is under the custody and protection of the Witness Protection Program (WPP) of the Department of Justice BECAUSE…- in accordance to REPUBLIC ACT NO. 6981 otherwise known as “AN ACT PROVIDING FOR A WITNESS PROTECTION, SECURITY AND BENEFIT PROGRAM AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.” it clearly states that;

    “Sec. 3. Admission into the Program. — Any person who has witnessed or has knowledge or information on the commission of a crime and has testified or is testifying or about to testify before any judicial or quasi-judicial body, or before any investigating authority, may be admitted into the Program:

    Provided, That:

    (a) the offense in which his testimony will be used is a grave felony as defined under the Revised Penal Code, or its equivalent under special laws;

    (b) his testimony can be substantially corroborated in its material points;

    (c) he or any member of his family within the second civil degree of consanguinity or affinity is subjected to threats to his life or bodily injury or there is a likelihood that he will be killed, forced, intimidated, harassed or corrupted to prevent him from testifying, or to testify falsely, or evasively, because or on account of his testimony.

    Now, even though according to Mr. Acosta’s (PAID) press statement Mr. Sumabat was involved in diffirent kind of anomalies and was charge of ESTAFA with diffirent contactors for City’s INFRA projects, BUT ALSO REMEMBER THAT: Sinong loko lokong TAO ang gagawa ng ganung kagaguhan na manghingi ng SOP’s para mai award ang isang project sa isang kontratista kung walang “BASBAS” galing sa nakakataas sa kanya, na kung ang pinag uusapan ay daang MILYONG PISONG PROYEKTO.

    Ayun naman pala, samakatuwid base sa RA 6981 Sec 3 paragraphs a & b… eh ang ebidensyang inihatag ni Mr. Abel Sumabat ay may bigat at kapanipaniwala na talagang may nangyaring katiwalian AT kaya sya na ilagay sa Witness Protection Program ay sa dahilang malakas ang hawak na ebidensya ni Mr. Sumabat laban sa mga inihahabla, kaya naman na aprobahan ang kahilingan nya na magkaroon ng proteksyon…

  6. Aldrin Lolong Lacoste says:

    Ombudsman should investigate the following ILL-GOTTEN WEALTH of ALDRIN SAN PEDRO

    1. Susana Heights Residence (50M)
    2. Two season resort in Calamba (30M)
    3. 6-fishing boat worth 5M each (30M)
    4. 1000 sq.m. land at Malabon (30M)
    5. 25% share Honda Cars Batangas (25M)
    6. Fishpen in Putatan 100 has (20M)
    7. Fishpen Binan Laguna 200 has (40M)
    8. Mercury Drug Bldg and Lot (50M)
    9. 500 sq m lot Buli corner Concepcion (5M)
    10.Mansion in Susana Heights (80M)
    11. 3 storey building Bayanan (30M)
    12. Commercial Building in Tunasan (15M)
    13. A lot in Summitville Bayanan (10M)
    14. A lot in espeleta Lakeview Putatan (10M)
    15. A lot in Pleasant Ville worth (10M)
    16. 500 sq m lot in Katihan Poblacion (6M)
    17. Silang Cavite Resort (30M)
    18. 3,500 sq m lot near Hall of Justice (50M)
    19. Bullet-proof Luxury Cars (20M)

  7. Aldrin Lolong Lacoste says:

    Pananakot .. yan ang gawa ng mag-amang SAN PEDRO sa bahay ni Ombudsman Morales

  8. Aldrin San Kurakot says:

    Kawawang Muntinlupa, kaya ayaw umusad, puro kurakot ang inaatupag ng mga nakaupo sa pwesto. Ilang milya na ba ang layo ng Muntinlupa sa twin sister nitong Taguig, in terms of progress?