ZAMBOANGA CITY — Police authorities arrested two former elected town officials in a law enforcement operation in the province of Zamboanga del Norte, an official disclosed Friday.
Chief Insp. Helen Galvez, Police Regional Office (PRO 9) information officer, identified those arrested as Jerome Sulit, 37, and Efren Esic, 47, both former municipal councilors in La Libertad, Zamboanga del Norte.
Galvez said the two former town officials were arrested in a law enforcement operation by way of service of warrant of arrest around 2:20 p.m. Thursday in Barangay Poblacion, Piñan, Zamboanga Del Norte.
She said they have standing warrants of arrest issued by the Piñan-La Liberta 2nd Municipal Circuit Trial Court for violation of Article 218–failure of accountable office to render accounts–of the Revised Penal Code of the Philippines.
She said it was however not stated in the report of the Zamboanga del Norte Police Provincial Office as to what the two had failed to account when they left the government service after their term ended in 2016 as elected officials.
Article 218 requires any8 public officer, whether in the service or separated therefrom by resignation or any other cause, to render accouns to the Insular Auditor, or to a provincial auditor.
Those who fail to do so for a period of two months after such accounts should be rendered, will be punished by prision correccional in its minimum period, or by a fine ranging from PHP200 to PHP6,000, or both.
Galvez said that the two former town officials have attained temporary liberty after each of them posted bail of PHP6,000. (PNA)
