Charges of plunder and graft were filed before the Office of the Ombudsman in Central Visayas against Mandaue City Lone District Rep. Emmarie “Lolypop” Ouano and her husband, Chairman Nixon “Jojo” Dizon of Barangay Opao.

International boxing judge and radio commentator Edward LIgas on Tuesday (September 25) filed the complaints as he claimed that the couple had unlawfully amassed wealth and falsified public documents.

The respondents’ camp said the filing of the charges is tainted with political motives. The couple is reportedly denying any wrongdoing.

Ligas who residents in Barangay Alang-alang, Mandaue accused the couple of using falsified documents in acquiring a 2,500 square-meter reclaimed lot in Barangay Centero, Mandaue City.

He insisted that the property should be part of the city government’s assets had it not from the fraudulent acquisition of the Oauno and her husband.

Currently valued at P70 million by the 2022 Bureau of Internal Revenue Zonal Valuation, the lot had been declared part of the Mandaue’s reclamation project in 1993.

Ligas said that in 2005, the land title was transferred to the couple after being officially made part of the city’s development program.

The complainant insisted that the circumstances of the 1992 acquisition of the property by the couple are flawed, adding that this has been made before it was formally declared as part of the reclamation program.

Ligas linked Ouano’s grandfather former Mandaue City Mayor Alfredo Ouano for facilitating the reclamation contract signed by the city government and a private development in 1989.

According to Ligas Ouano is also guilty of viiolation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act for failure to declare the property in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth form 1997 to 2005.

The property was sold by Ouano and her husband in 2012 for P20 million. The couple allegedly acquired the lot for P2 million.