Ombudsman urged to probe Celis for fake recipients of lots

The Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas was requested to probe the political liaison officer of Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog for his alleged fraudulent acquisition of lots in the City Government’s relocation site.

In a complaint filed before the office of Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Pelagio Apostol, journalist Manuel “Boy” Mejorada requested Apostol to conduct a fact-finding investigation into the alleged questionable acquisition and alleged illegal occupation of lots in Project 3, JICA-Sooc Relocation Site by the alleged dummies of Jeffrey Celiz, a co-terminus employee in the Office of the City Mayor.

Mejorada alleges in his complaint that the awards were “fictitious and constituted acts of misrepresentation, dishonesty, fraud, gross misconduct and the transactions were prejudicial and disadvantageous to the government” because those who applied for the said lots were allegedly not qualified “because they are neither project-affected and homeless.”

He said the lot awardees allegedly continue to live in their own respective houses, and their names were only used to enable Celiz to allegedly illegally obtain such relocation home lots.

In his complaint, Mejorada also cited the documents provided by the Iloilo City Urban Poor Affairs Office (Icupao) in response to his request dated Sept. 28, 2012.

He said the documents showed that Icupao issued a “lot award notice” to Gilda Hinojales Canilao and Suzara Luces Gonzales, both residents of Tanza Timawa Zone I, Iloilo City.

Canilao’s lot award notice is for a relocation home described as Lot No. 13, Block No. 8, Project 3, Sooc, IFPC and Gonzales’s  - Lot No. 11, Block No. 8, Project 3, Sooc IFPC.

Mejorada said in his complaint that while in paper, both Canilao and Gonzales are the beneficiaries and occupants of the two lots, both are allegedly occupied by Celiz.

He further alleged that Canilao is Celiz’s mother-in-law and Luces, Celiz’s sister.

Mejorada also requested the Ombudsman to also investigate the participation of Icupao’s Wilfredo Jurilla, executive director; Ma. Lourdes Gemma Belarminao, overall site coordinator and Nelia Secusana, site coordinator as well as inspect the site to validate the complaint, and that they’d be dismissed from the service for the alleged offenses they have committed.

Meanwhile, in a phone interview, Celiz said Mejorada’s request for an investigation at the Ombudsman is nonsense because he is not an awardee of the relocation lot in Sooc, Arevalo district.

He said the two lots belong to his sister Susara and mother-in-law Hilda where his family is currently extending. 

Celiz said they transferred to his mother-in-law’s house last year after receiving several ejection notices from UP Visayas, owner of the lot where they are squatting in Tanza Timawa Zone 1.

Celiz said the two awardees are qualified because they have no real properties and are identified as urban indigents of this city.

“The applications were done five years ago when they are still squatting in Tanza Timawa Zone 1 and Mayor Mabilog is not yet a mayor. Mejorada should check all the documents at the Icupao before making his false accusation,” he said.

He added that Mejorada is just desperate and wanted to destroy his job as political liaison officer of the mayor.

Celiz added he is ready to be investigated anytime.

Meanwhile, Jurilla could not be reached for comment yesterday.*