THE Office of the Ombudsman ordered on Friday the dismissal from the service of 13 government officials in the P224-million pork barrel fund scam involving former Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. for grave misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service and dishonesty.
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales ordered the dismissal of director III Richard Cambe, Revilla’s former chief of staff; Dennis Cunanan, ex-Technology Resource Center director general; Marivic Jover, ex-TRC chief accountant;
Consuelo Lilian Espiritu, ex-TRC budget officer; Gondelina Amata, National Livelihood Development Corp. president; Gregoria Buenaventura; Emmanuel Alexis Sevidal NLDC director IV; Sofia Cruz, NLDC project development officer IV;
Chita Jalandoni NLDC director IV; Ofelia Ordoñez, NLDC chief budget specialist; Evelyn Sucgang; Victor Roman Cacal, National Agribusiness Corp.’s general services supervisor, and Rhodora Mendoza NabCor’s administrative and finance head.
The order carries the accessory penalties of perpetual disqualification from holding public office and forfeiture of all retirement benefits.
“In the event of separation from the service, the penalty is convertible to a fine equivalent to respondent’s salary for one year,” the Ombudsman said.
Cambe and the other respondents are also being tried before the Sandiganbayan for their involvement in the anomalous utilization of the 2006 to 2010 Priority Development Assistance Fund of Revilla.
From 2006 to 2010, Revilla continuously endorsed the implementation of his PDAF-funded livelihood and agricultural production projects in different parts of the country to questionable non-government organizations linked to businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles.
In 2007 until 2009, a total P517,000,000 was released by the Department of Budget and Management as part of Revilla’s pork barrel fun.
After the fund release, Revilla identified NabCor, NLDC and TRC as the implementing agencies.
To facilitate the scam, Revilla authorized Cambe “to act for him, deal with, and sign documents necessary for the immediate and timely implementation of the PDAF-funded projects.”
On behalf of Revilla, Cambe signed several memoranda of agreement.
The former senator endorsed the Agri and Economic Program for Farmers Foundation Inc., Agricultura para sa Magbubukid Foundation Inc., Masaganang Ani Para sa Magsasaka Foundation, Inc., Philippine Social Development Foundation Inc. and Social Development Program for Farmer’s Foundation Inc.
Actual field validation conducted by the Ombudsman showed that no deliveries were made to the supposed beneficiaries, and that mayors and municipal agriculturists denied receiving any of the items from Revilla, the implementing agencies or the NGOs.
The Commission on Audit observed the NGOs that received the multi-million peso PDAF releases did not have the track record to implement the projects, and the selection of the NGOs as well as the alleged procurement of goods for distribution of beneficiaries did not undergo public bidding.
Moreover, the suppliers denied having dealt with any of the NGOs, the beneficiaries were unknown or could not be located at their given addresses.
The Ombudsman anchored its order on the testimonies of the whistleblowers that “Revilla received total commissions, rebates or kickbacks amounting to at least P224,512,500.”
In the Jan. 27 decision, the Ombudsman noted “the extraordinary speed attendant to the examination, processing and approval by the concerned NabCor, NLDC and TRC officers of the PDAF releases to the Napoles-affiliated or controlled NGOs.”
“In most instances, the disbursement vouchers were accomplished, signed and approved on the same day. Certainly, the required careful examination of the transaction’s supporting documents could not have taken place if the DV was processed and approved in one day,” Morales said.