ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE, Philippines – A video call recording has surfaced online, suggesting that a mayor in Zamboanga del Norte may have been conned into parting with P5 million in exchange for a party-list nomination for his wife.
The recording has raised serious questions about propriety, the mayor’s wealth, and how he has been managing local government finances, with the town’s vice mayor calling for an official investigation.
Sibuco town Mayor Joel Ventura acknowledged to Rappler on Tuesday, January 7, that he was the man in the recording. However, he vehemently denied sending P5 million to scammers in exchange for a second nominee slot in a still unnamed party-list group.
Ventura said he was merely offered the nomination, but didn’t pay up.
A party-list nomination is a step for aspiring lawmakers. Should the group secure enough votes, it would pave the way for seats in the House of Representatives.
“Hindi totoo ‘yun, meron lang nag-offer (It’s not true, there was just an offer),” Ventura said in Filipino before cutting the interview short to attend to a visitor. He later sent a text message, saying he could not return the call due to poor signal.
In the undated video call recording, a negotiator is heard asking Ventura for receipts for the money he supposedly sent in several tranches.
The conversation suggested that the total amount sent had reached P5 million. In the recording, plans were also discussed to give the second nominee seat to Ventura’s wife, Annaly.
Ventura was told by the broker, “Send me the receipts so I can tell them that Mayor Ventura has already sent P5 million, and why the mayor’s wife is still not taking her oath.”
Sibuco Vice Mayor Laurel Mahamod told Rappler that residents were aghast when the recording surfaced online.
“[We were] shocked, learning that Mayor Joel lost that much money. We were disgusted to know that he [had the gall] to enter into devious transactions to get a public post,” said Mahamod, who is challenging Ventura’s reelection bid.
Former Sibuco mayor Norbideiri Edding said it was very clear that the man in the video is Ventura. He questioned how Ventura could afford such, given that the mayor’s only known source of income is his government salary.
“It’s unbelievable that he can spend a huge amount on something unsure, but I guess we just cannot fathom a person’s full capabilities,” Edding said.
Mahamod, meanwhile, raised concerns about how Ventura managed the town’s finances, including local government’s 20% development fund and a P10-million fund intended to hire more teachers for the Sibuco-subsidized extension of the Jose Rizal Memorial State University (JRMSU) extension. The JRMSU extension in Sibuco was closed last year due to a lack of teachers.
“We will ask the mayor for full disclosure on the implementation of our development plan,” he said.
Sibuco, located some 288 kilometers southwest of Dipolog City, is a predominantly Muslim rural town with a population of 36,049. Its economy is primarily based on farming and fishing.
The town struggles with peace and order problems. On October 17, 2024, unidentified gunmen abducted American Elliot Eastman near a military outpost in Sibuco. Eastman, who was shot when he resisted, was believed to have died the same day, and his body was reportedly dumped in the sea off Zamboanga City.
It wasn’t the first time such a scheme has been uncovered in Mindanao. On January 2, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested six people in Manila for allegedly running a syndicate that promised seats in the Bangsamoro parliament. The group allegedly used the name of First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos to appear credible.
The arrests took place during an entrapment operation at the Manila Hotel, following a complaint from former Maguindanao representative Esmael Mangudadatu, who said he was offered parliamentary positions for his relatives in exchange for payment.– Rappler.com