Manila, Philippines - The mayor of San Fernando, Pampanga has been charged with graft and corruption over the overprice of relief goods he distributed to his constituents in the wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Melchor Calauag, former barangay chairman of San Fernando Pampanga, led Interior Undersecretary Martin Diño and Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) President Arsenio Evangelsita in filing a graft lawsuit against Mayor Edwin Santiago.
The case was filed with the mayor after it was learned that the can goods or cans that the Local Government Unit of the province had referred to were overprice.
It appears that in the three months since Enhanced Community Quarantine implemented the distributed relief goods to the residents of San Fernando by Local Government Units, the price was higher than the market price.
In addition to Santiago, several other San Fernando LGU officials were also charged with corruption in connection with procurement of relief goods.