SAN PEDRO CITY — Another plunder case was filed against San Pedro City Mayor Art Francis Joseph Mercado and the city council before the Office of the Ombudsman on Tuesday. Former San Pedro City Hall Public Order and Safety Office employee Jason Vierneza went to the Ombudsman to file a complaint against the mayor for violation of Republic Act (RA) 7080, or the plunder law, RA 3019, or the anti-graft and corrupt practices act, as well as for gross inexcusable negligence and grave misconduct. Vierneza, who resigned from his work last July after almost 19 years in the service, criticized Mercado and the city council for the purchase of a 22,500-square-meter lot located here in Barangay Landayan without a specific plan for its use and proper legal proceedings. According to the 14-page complaint submitted by Vierneza, the property was bought for P135,000,000 at P6,000 per square meter on April 20, 2023, based on the disbursement voucher of the San Pedro City Hall. Vierneza claimed in his complaint that the same piece of land was being sold three years ago at P1,300 per square meter for a total price of P29,500,000. Aside from Mercado, Vierneza also filed plunder charges against Vice Mayor Divina Olivarez, councilors Michael Casacop, Sheriliz Almoro, Joie Chelsea Villegas, Leslie Lu, Mark Oliveros, Aldrin Mercado, Bernadette Olivarez, Jose Mendoza and Vincent Solidum. President of Liga ng mga Barangay Diwa Tayao, Sanggunian SK Federation president Raphael Ty, city administrator Henry Salazar and 12 other city officials were also dragged in the case. Melvin Matibag helped Vierneza in filing the plunder case. "Land banking is not the job of the local government after the leadership of Mayor Art [Mercado] bought another land property without a purpose. It was the second time that they did it after they acquired the land property in Laram also for future development or for future use," Matibag said. "It cannot be. Under the law, it is prohibited to buy a land property if there is no specific use or plan for it, if there are many informal settlers, and if it is a flood-prone area. This is a flood-prone area beside Laguna Lake." Earlier, a plunder case was filed against Mercado and company by City Councilor Carlon Ambayec for the purchase of a land property in Barangay Laram worth P73,644,000 at P6,000 per square meter. Like in the property the city government bought in Barangay Landayan, there was no specific plan or project for the purchase of the 12,274-square-meter lot in Barangay Laram. The mayor, vice mayor and the rest of the accused have yet to issue their statements regarding the new plunder case.
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