Farmers from Narvacan, Ilocos Sur have filed plunder and graft complaints against former Governor Luis “Chavit” Singson and several other local officials before the Office of the Ombudsman.
The three-page plunder complaint, filed by members of the Warriors Ti Narvacan, Inc. and led by Atty. Estelita Cordero, accuses Singson and former and current Narvacan officials of benefiting from an allegedly overpriced land purchase involving nearly 10 hectares of property owned by Western Textile Mills, Inc.
According to Atty. Cordero, the questioned transaction took place in 2019, during Singson’s term as mayor, and allegedly caused a ₱100-million loss to the municipal government.
The complaint stated that the property was purchased for ₱149,961,000, despite its actual assessed value being only ₱49,987,000, resulting in a supposed ₱100-million overprice that benefited the accused.
Aside from Singson, the other respondents include former Vice Mayor Pablito Sanidad Sr., incumbent Mayor Edna Sanidad, several Sangguniang Bayan members, Municipal Assessor Arlene Debina, and Raymond Ang of Western Textile Mills, Inc.
In a separate complaint, another group of farmers and fishermen also filed a graft case against Singson and several others, accusing them of illegally occupying coastal lands in Sulvec, Ilocos Sur, where Singson allegedly constructed a Santorini-style resthouse.
Also named in this graft case were former Philippine Tourism Authority General Manager Robert Dean Barbers, Ilocos Sur Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Rosemarie Jornacion, and members of the Narvacan Sangguniang Bayan.
Singson previously served as Mayor of Narvacan from 2019 to 2022.