PCACCG Files Second Graft Complaint Against Mataas na Kahoy Mayor and Vice Mayor Over Audit Discrepancies

The People’s Coalition Against Crime and Corruption Group (PCACCG) has lodged another graft and corruption complaint against Mataas na Kahoy Mayor Janet Ilagan and her husband, Vice Mayor Jay Ilagan. The new case was filed on Thursday at the Office of the Ombudsman.

Just two days prior, the PCACCG accused the couple of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, gross inexcusable negligence, grave misconduct, and breaches of the Government Procurement Reform Act. The latest complaint reiterates these violations but specifically focuses on alleged discrepancies in their 2021 audit reports.

The charges are based on findings from the Commission on Audit (COA), detailed in a report by State Auditor Efren Pasia on May 31, 2022. Antonio Alabata, representing the PCACCG, stated that the irregularities discovered in the audit serve as further evidence of officials’ misconduct.

“Hinahabol po namin ang kanilang pagkukulang dahil kelangan po nilang magpaliwanag sa taong bayan tungkol sa mga bagay na ito lalo na sa naging COA findings sa kanilang audit report nung nakaraang 2021 na kung saan ay hindi ito tumutugma,” Alabata said.

Mayor Janet Ilagan’s husband is also Mataas na Kahoy, Batangas Vice Mayor Jay Ilagan, also one of the Batangas province gubernatorial candidates in next year’s election in May.

Alabata said that the COA reports in their latest complaint at the Ombudsman show discrepancies that have been found in their statement of financial positions, statement of cash flows, statement of comparison of budget and actual amounts and notes to the Financial Statements of the municipality for CY 2021.

The State Auditor reported that the Property, Plant and Equipment accounts balances presented in the financial statements totaling P223,280,952.46, net of accumulated depreciation were found to have discrepancies against its lapsing schedules amounting to P29,142,735.09.

Alabata said the discrepancies were still not complied with for two years or since May 30, 2024, by Mayor Janet and Vice mayor Jay Ilagan, according to the COA Action Plan Monitoring Tool.

In the first complained filed last Tuesday at the Ombudsman, the PCACC filed the violation of Republic Act 3019 or the anti-graft and corrupt practices act, gross inexcusable negligence, grave misconduct, and procurement violations against the mayor for allegedly committing mishandling, delayed, and unimplemented projects as of December 2022.