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ILOILO CITY, Philippines – The Office of the Ombudsman has dismissed from government service the mayor and vice mayor of Zarraga town, Iloilo, over an allegedly rigged purchase of a parcel of land intended for the town’s Local Shelter Plan (LSP).
In a 22-page decision, the Ombudsman found Zarraga Mayor Ma. Jofel Soldevilla and Vice Mayor Michael Omar Lacson administratively liable for grave misconduct over a 2023 contract to buy a parcel of land owned by Lacson’s family.
The decision was penned on July 17, 2025, but was approved by Deputy Ombudsman Jose Balmeo Jr. only on September 17.
Their penalty of dismissal from service also includes the cancellation of eligibility, forfeiture of retirement benefits, perpetual disqualification from holding public office, and a bar from taking civil service examinations.
The Ombudsman added that if the penalty of dismissal can no longer be enforced due to separation from service, it should be converted to a fine equivalent to their basic salary for one year.
The case stemmed from a complaint filed on August 1, 2024, by former town council member Andre Bon Sumagaysay, who was then an incumbent town official. He ran again in the 2025 elections but failed to win a seat.
Sumagaysay accused the two officials of grave abuse of authority in executing a questionable contract to sell on July 13, 2023, involving a 6,585-square-meter property owned by Lacson’s late father, Orlando.
Lacson, who was still a town councilor at the time of the transaction, chaired the town council’s committee on housing and land, and eventually sponsored the resolution supporting the purchase.
The total purchase price stipulated in the contract was P11.6 million. However, the 2023 appropriation for land acquisition under the LSP was only P5 million. The contract price exceeded the appropriated funds by P6.6 million.
The Ombudsman said the transaction caused “undue injury” to the local government when the initial amount of P5 million was paid, even though ownership of the property had not yet been transferred to the town government.
Transfer of ownership was even conditioned upon the full payment of the remaining P6.6 million.
The Ombudsman said the contract entered into by Soldevilla and Lacson, even if supported by an approved resolution on March 22, 2023, placed the local government under unauthorized indebtedness that required prior authorization from the town council under the Local Government Code.
The execution of the contract without prior authority demonstrated evident bad faith on the part of Soldevilla and Lacson, violating clear provisions of the Code, according to the Ombudsman.
It added that while Lacson argued he had inhibited himself from the proceedings of the ad hoc appraisal committee when his late father’s property was considered, this did not exonerate him from his active involvement in the process leading to the purchase.
The anti-graft body said the selection of Lacson’s property was dubious, noting that it was located in a flood-prone area and that other evaluated sites reportedly received higher ratings.
“The facts of the case and the evidence on record have indubitably established that Soldevilla and Lacson conspired with each other and unlawfully used their official positions to advance their personal interests,” the decision read.
The Ombudsman added that Soldevilla and Lacson’s actions “clearly demonstrate corrupt and depraved motives, willful intent to violate the law, and blatant disregard of established rules which are constitutive of grave misconduct.”
Rappler has reached out to Soldevilla for comment, but she has yet to respond as of this posting. This story will be updated once she does.
‘Simple misconduct’
Sumagaysay’s complaint also named seven other Zarraga officials, who were found liable for “simple misconduct.” They are former town councilors Rolando Papa, Nelida Octaviano, and Mark Andrian Sulolayon; Councilor Jose Jeffren Millan; accountant Era Lerdon; budget officer Glezil Mae Lozañes; and treasurer Leonora Pauva.
The seven officials were meted a maximum of six months’ suspension from service without pay. If separation prevents enforcement of the suspension, the penalty is converted to a fine equivalent to their basic salary for six months.
The Ombudsman said the town council failed to obtain the required majority vote when they passed the resolution authorizing Soldevilla to enter into the contract.
Although a quorum was present with six members, including the presiding officer, attending the session in March 2023, the six votes in favor did not constitute the required majority to uphold the resolution.
The Ombudsman said the town council should not have proceeded with passing the resolution, especially because it involved the possible disbursement of funds.
The anti-graft body also pointed out that while there was no evidence they were impelled by corruption, their actions violated the town council’s internal rules of procedure.
Lerdon, Lozañes, and Pauva were also found liable for failing to provide the complainant with requested documents related to the transaction, in violation of Executive Order No. 2, series of 2016, which mandates public access to official records. – Rappler.com
