Ex-Eastern Samar mayor arrested on graft charges

TACLOBAN CITY — Former Balangiga, Eastern Samar Mayor Randy Graza was arrested on Friday night, Aug. 21, over alleged violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Graza, 52, was arrested at 10:40 p.m. in Barangay Guinmaayohan by personnel of the Balangiga Municipal Police Station, Provincial Intelligence Unit and the 2nd Eastern Samar Provincial Mobile Force Company.

Police said the arrest was based on a warrant issued on Aug. 19 by Presiding Judge Nelson Leyco of the Regional Trial Court, Seventh Judicial Region, Branch 27 in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu.

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The warrant cited alleged violations of Sections 3(e) and 3(h) of RA 3019, with recommended bail set at P90,000 for each offense.

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Section 3(e) of the law covers acts by public officers that cause undue injury to any party or give unwarranted benefits, advantage or preference through manifest partiality, evident bad faith or gross inexcusable negligence. Section 3(h), meanwhile, prohibits public officers from having a financial or pecuniary interest in certain transactions in connection with which they intervene in their official capacity.

READ: Ombudsman dismisses graft, misconduct raps vs Eastern Samar gov

Graza served as mayor of Balangiga from 2019 to 2022. The historic municipality is known for the 1901 Balangiga Encounter during the Philippine-American War.

Police did not provide details on the specific circumstances of the graft case or the government transaction that allegedly led to the filing of charges against Graza.

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Graza had earlier figured in a controversy involving the procurement of a property intended for the town’s evacuation center, which was funded through assistance from the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

It was not immediately clear whether the earlier controversy was related to the charges covered by the latest warrant.

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After his arrest, Graza was informed of his constitutional rights under the Miranda Doctrine and the Anti-Torture Law in a dialect he understood, police said.

He was brought to the Albino M. Duran Memorial Hospital for a medical examination before being taken to the Balangiga Municipal Police Station for documentation.

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Police said Graza would be turned over to the court of origin for proper disposition of the case. /mcm