A composite team of the Criminal Investigation and Dectection Group (CIDG)-Bohol, Corella police and Tagbilaran city police arrested former Corella mayor Vito Rapal on July 23 based on a warrant of arrest issued by Sandiganbayan 4th division.
CIDG-Bohol deputy chief, SPO3 Genaro Boja, led the arresting team who swooped down the house of former mayor Rapal at St. Joseph Village in barangay Dampas, Tagbilaran City at around 10:30 a.m. on Thursday last week.
The former mayor also has a residence in barangay Canangca-an, Corella.
The former mayor is now temporarily detained at the detention cell of the Bohol Police Provincial Office at Camp Dagohoy, Tagbilaran City.
Associate Justice Jose Hernandez of Sandiganbayan 4th Division in Quezon City issued the warrant of arrest dated July 18, 2015 against former mayor Rapal and the former vice mayor of Corella on July 8 for three counts of Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, Malversation of Public Funds, Estafa and failure to render accounts.
The court recommended a bailbond of P176,000.
For his part, the 55-year-old former mayor of Corella said the arrest surprised him, but said he would face and air his side in the case filed against him.
He also suspects that there is some political maneuvering in his arrest, considering that the next election is barely 10 months away.
The offenses cited in the warrant of arrest include three counts of violation of Section 3 (c) of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act as amended, Malversation of Public Fund under Article 217 of the Revised Penal Code, estafa under Article 315, par. (1)(b) of the Revised Penal Code, and Failure to Render Accounts under Article 218 of the Revised Penal Code.
The complaints included Rapal’s failure to account for cash advances amounting to P1 million allocated for intelligence and confidential funds, travel, miscellaneous ug other expenses.
The Ombudsman also alleged that Rapal failed to remit P92,000 to the Philippine Tarsier Foundation Incorporated in 2008 to 2009.
Rapal also allegedly used the municipal funds for phone bills amounting to P10,000 for “pasaload†and game downloads which the Ombudsman believed to be personal purposes.