BY CRIS DIAZ
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY: A regional trial court has issued warrant of arrest to three incumbent village officials in Cagayan de Oro City for alleged “ghost tournament” costing about P151,000 for an event that never was.
Documents furnished to the Mindanao Daily News identified the village officials as Delia Tacbobo Wabe, incumbent village chief, Diosdado Tacbobo Wabe, village councilor, and Lycellie D. Quilantang, village Treasurer, all village officials of Barangay 21, an urban village in Cagayan de Oro City.
The Regional Trial Court (RTC), Branch 4 of Iligan City, issued the warrant of arrest against the village officials with violation of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act in connection with the alleged conduct of “ghost basketball tournament” sometime in November 2018.
The Ombudsman, which initially conducted the alleged basketball tournament found out that the photographs used as evidences proving that the basketball tournament took place were found manufactured since the photos were lifted from the facebook account of a local government unit in Misamis Occidental.
Finding probable cause, on June 2, 2025, the Ombudsman elevated the case to the Sandiganbayan, an anti-graft court that hears criminal cases on graft against indicted public officials.
The warrant of arrest signed by RTC presiding Judge Aliombra Raiz Bacaraman was issued on March 24, 2026.
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