Mayors who misused government funds during the last elections or who consumed the budgetary allocation for the entire year during the pre-electionperiod or immediately after the election in the case of losing reelectionists may be prosecuted for violation of the Anti-Craft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Municipal officials including municipal budget officers, municipal accountants and municipal treasurers who made possible such illegal transactions would also be liable.
This was pointed out by Provincial Prosecutor Agapito B. Rosales this week after several incoming mayors in the province complained that little or nothing is left of what is supposed to be spent for the remaining two quarters of the year due to misuse of funds to prop up the election bid of certain predecessors.
Rosales urged that all relevant transactions be scrutinized, comprehensive audit be made and inventory of municipal government properties be made before any formal complaint is made.
Some outgoing mayors have even been reported to have brought with them office properties belonging to the municipal government. Some municipal governments have incurred loans beyond the capacity of the LGU to pay in effect paralyzing the operations.
Worse, some towns are heavily indebted with much of the money going to the pockets of town officials instead of to specific development projects.
