Lawmaker faces 14 graft raps over contractor links

MANILA, Philippines – The Office of the Ombudsman filed 14 counts of graft with the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan on Saturday, July 25, against USWAG Ilonggo Representative James “Jojo” Ang Jr., who’s allegedly linked to a construction firm. “While sitting in Congress, [Representative] Ang holds a stake in a construction firm that won ₱214 million in DPWH contracts — and was paid nearly ₱199 million for them,” the Office of the Ombudsman said in a statement. “The Constitution is clear: no lawmaker may be financially interested in a government contract during his term. Conflict of interest is not a gray area. It does not require proof that a deal was rigged or that cash changed hands — only that a public official profited, or stood to profit, from a government contract while in office. Here, and in many cases, the clear and thick constitutional line is constantly and blatantly being crossed,” it added. The cases are for alleged violation of section 3(h) of Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act or Republic Act No. 3019. This provision punishes individuals who have direct or indirect “pecuniary interest in any business or contract or transaction in connection with which he intervenes or takes part in his official capacity.” These cases are bailable. The filing came two days before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s 4th State of the Nation Address on Monday, July 27. – Rappler.com Must Read Uswag Ilonggo’s Ang profited from contractor boom