THE Office of the Ombudsman on Friday indicted ex-La Union representative Thomas Dumpit Jr. for the questionable utilization of his Priority Development Assistance Fund of P66.5 million in 2007 to 2009.
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales ordered the filing of 15 counts of graft, nine counts of malversation through falsification of public documents and six counts of malversation of public funds against the former lawmaker.
Citing a Commission on Audit report, the Ombudsman found that from 2007 to 2009, Dumpit received P66.5 million in pork barrel fund channelled to ghost projects, such as the distribution of livelihood training kits, business clinics, market development, livelihood trainings, and instructional and livelihood materials for the constituents of District 2 in La Union.
Ombudsman investigators discovered that no kits were distributed, no trainings conducted and that the documents submitted to support the liquidation of the public funds were all fabricated.
Investigators who went to La Union were also able to validate reports that the recipients listed as beneficiaries did not receive any kits, seedlings or trainings.
Many of the purported beneficiaries whose names appeared on the list of beneficiaries were not even residents or registered voters of La Union.
Records showed Dumpit identified the National Livelihood Development Corp., National Agri-Business Corp. and the Technological Livelihood Resource Center as implementing agencies.
Dumpit also indentified and endorsed the Aaron Foundation of the Philippines Inc., Kabuhayan at Kalusugan Alay sa Masa Foundation and Kasangga sa Magandang Bukas Foundation Inc. as non-government organizations and recipients of his PDAF.
