Minglanilla Mayor Rajiv Enad defended the integrity of his administration on Monday, June 22, 2026, after the Office of the Ombudsman announced via Facebook that a graft case had been formally filed against him and 11 other town officials at the Regional Trial Court in Naga City.
Mayor Denies Corruption Allegations
In a Facebook post, Enad stated that the case is not related to corruption or misuse of public funds. “This case does not accuse us of stealing the people's money. We are not accused of stealing. We are not accused of corruption,” he said.
According to the Ombudsman's Facebook post, the case involves the repeated refusal of the local government to approve the Rehabilitation Plan submitted by private companies Jomara Konstruct Corporation and Jomara Agri Foods and Supply Corporation for an area in Sitio Napo, Barangay Guindarohan.
Ombudsman Finds Probable Cause
The Ombudsman found probable cause to charge Enad, Vice Mayor Elanito Peña, 10 Sangguniang Bayan members, and Municipal Administrator Junrie Casquejo Bragat for alleged violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Enad explained that the council's decision was based on concerns for public safety and environmental protection following a geohazard assessment by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) in December 2021, which found soil cracks above a quarry site. As a result, the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) issued a Cease-and-Desist Order (CDO) at that time.
Ombudsman Alleges Bad Faith
However, the Ombudsman ruled that the officials acted with “evident bad faith, manifest partiality, or gross inexcusable negligence.” The anti-graft body stated that the respondents blocked the rehabilitation plan despite technical recommendations and support from the MGB, EMB, and the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO), which partially lifted the CDO to allow implementation of the safety plan.
The resolution revealed that the local officials gave “unwarranted benefit, advantage or preference” to business competitors when they rejected the EMB guidelines. It also showed a conspiracy among the officials, evidenced by the passage of SB Resolution No. 271, Series of 2022, which denied the plan and was approved by Enad.
Charges and Dismissals
The Ombudsman dismissed the complaint against the acting Sangguniang Bayan Secretary for lack of merit. Aside from Enad and Peña, the councilors charged are Oscar Cañares Dela Calzada Jr., Samuel Gordsin Adlawan Jr., Jesus Denoyo Velez, Jeremias Llanos Cañares, Jaime Secretarya Caumeran, Jenifer Dejan Lariosa, Proserfina Laput Fajutrao, Jenny Zafra Young, Petronilo Entera Traya, and Rick Ryan Zafra.
