CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The camp of Mayor Oscar Moreno said they are ready to face the anti-graft court, which has rescheduled the embattled local chief executive's arraignment in January next year.
Moreno said he remains optimistic that the graft charges against him will be dismissed, even as he maintained he has not committed any wrongdoing.
The case stemmed from the rental of training quarters for the city’s aspiring boxers under the Sports Development Program for Professional and Amateur Boxing in the amount of P70,000 in 2013.
Moreno said he wanted the aspiring boxers’ talent to be further developed, prompting him to rent a living quarters for them. Many of the young aspiring boxers have fought in local and international boxing matches and some of them have won titles.
He also maintained that the funds he used for the rental was justified as the 2013 budget ordinance allowed augmentation through a provision and could be utilized without the approval of the city council.
Moreno’s lawyer, Bryan Dale Mordeno said he is confident the anti-graft body will dismiss the charges against the mayor since no public funds were misused contrary to allegation of Marvin Beja, the complainant.
Beja has also alleged that Moreno signed a contract without obtaining an approval from the city council first.
According to the Office of the Ombudsman, Moreno violated a section of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act when he signed a lease contract agreement with Engr. Jimmy Caiña, the owner of the facility that was converted as the boxers’ training quarters.
Mordeno said they have filed a motion to quash since they believe that Moreno, in entering into a deal with Caiña, did not violate any law.
Should the Sandiganbayan denies Moreno’s motion, Mordeno said they will exhaust all legal remedies including the filing of motion for reconsideration, and if that will not be granted, they will elevate it to the Supreme Court.
Moreno is facing a string of graft cases that the mayor characterized as politically-motivated. (PNA/Jigger J.Jerusalem)
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