Metro Manila, Philippines – The Office of the Ombudsman has filed nine counts of graft with the Sandiganbayan against Tarlac 3rd district Rep. Noel Rivera over alleged conflict of interest for projects linked to flood control anomalies, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said on Friday, Aug. 7.
Remulla called Rivera a “cong-tractor,” a political slang referring to lawmakers who allegedly own, control, or have hidden financial stakes in construction companies that win lucrative government infrastructure and flood-control projects, violating anti-graft laws.
In submissions to the ombudsman, the Independent Commission for Infrastructure and the Department of Public Works and Highways said Rivera is a majority stockholder, and chairman and president of Tarlac 3-G Construction and Development Corporation
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Rivera is the second active member of the House of Representatives to face criminal charges in relation to the multibillion-peso flood control scandal.
Last month, the ombudsman filed 14 counts of grants USWAG Ilonggo Rep. James “Jojo” Ang Jr., making him the first representative to face criminal charges linked to the infrastructure mess.
Graft is a bailable offense.
