The Office of the Ombudsman filed on Tuesday two counts of graft raps against Senator Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan II before the Sandiganbayan for his alleged misuse of his P30-million pork barrel fund in 2012.
At the same time, the Office of the Ombudsman indicted former Leyte Eduardo Veloso for the same charge. Veloso was also charged with two counts of malversation.
The Office of the Special Prosecutors said Honasan violated Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act for the alleged anomalous use of his P30 million Priority Development Assistance Fund.
He is the fourth senator to be charged over their involvement in the pork barrel scam after former senators Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and Juan Ponce Enrile who are all facing plunder and graft raps before the anti-graft court.
The Ombudsman said Honasan funded P30 million worth of livelihood and enterprise projects in Muslim communities in Metro Manila and Zambales.
The National Council of Muslim Filipinos served as the implementing agency of Honasan’s PDAF, while its partner non-government agency was identified as Focus Development Goals Foundation Inc.
The Ombudsman said the senator did not comply with the procurement rules, as the disbursement vouchers and checks were already prepared with the foundation as the payee.
It said that the check was signed ahead of the signing of a memorandum of agreement among Honasan, the NCMF and FDGFI. Honasan approved a P29.1-million payment to the NGO.
In 2014, the Commission on Audit flagged Honasan’s project and recommended that the NGO blacklisted from any government transactions.
Meanwhile, Veloso received P24,200,000 from the Department of Budget and Management in 2007 as his share in the PDAF for the livelihood and development projects of his constituents in District 3.
Audit documents showed Veloso requested the Technology Resource Center as the implementing agency with Aaron Foundation Philippines Inc. as its partner.
Based on field verifications, the multi-million peso pork barrel fund was never used for the intended projects.
The Commission on Audit also discovered that the AFPI had no financial capability to undertake the project for its measly capital stock contribution of only P68,000.
In 2007, AFPI declared a net loss of P5,840.
The Ombudsman also found probable cause to indict former TRC executives Antonio Ortiz, Dennis Cunanan, Marivic Jover, Francisco Figura and Maria Rosalinda Lacsamana.
“The concerned TRC officers did not even bother to conduct a due diligence audit on AFPI as to its capability or qualification to undertake the livelihood project. Instead, they accepted the sole representation of Congressman Veloso and AFPI to undertake the projects in contravention on existing procurement laws and regulations,” the resolution read.
The Ombudsman also said that Veloso had issued a defective memoranda of agreement entered into by and between the lawmaker and the foundation.
The arrangement also did not indicate the project duration.
As this developed, two journalists filed charges of graft, grave misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of service, grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of service against Eastern Samar Gov. Conrado Nicart Jr. before the Office of the Ombudsman.
In their complaint, Artemio Tapalla and Joel Amongo, Department of Interior and Local Government-National Police Commission Press Club president, as “law-abiding citizens and constituents of the province of Eastern Samar,” along with Tirso Paglicawan Jr., an anti-corruption advocate, accused Nicart of violation of Section 344 and 345 of Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Code, Section 39 of the Manual on the New Government Accounting System for Local Government Units as prepared by the Commission on Audit, Article 177 of the Revised Penal Code or usurpation and Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.
Included in the charge sheet were San Policarpio Mayor Thelma Uy-Nicart, the governor’s wife; executive assistant 2 Josephine Lyn Uy Hui; executive assistant 1 Mark Joseph Uy Hui; budget officer Eleanor Lombendencio; accountant Lea Cargando; Dr. Deogracias Paano, bids and award committee chairman; Berlindo Morallos, BAC vice chairman; Joselito Mutia, BAC secretary; chief of staff Virgilio Capon; board members Thomas Campomanes and Cirilo Quinsayas; legal officer Lionel Titong, and resident auditor Alma Doxi of the Commission on Audit.
On Aug. 3, 2016, or 34 days after he assumed office on June 30, 2016, Nicart was rushed to a hospital in Makati City, where he was confined for several months for serious “unrevealed” illnesses, and that Vice Governor Marcelo Ferdinand Picardal took over Nicart’s post.
Since his hospital discharge on Sept. 26, 2016, Nicart reassumed his position and “literally” stayed in his office 24/7 under the assistance and monitoring of his wife Thelma “not because of work overtime, but because he was no longer physically capable.
The complainants said he was seen being brought in and out of his office at dark in a wheelchair, and never entertained visitors and conducted meetings with the provincial officials and employees.
Nicart was “merely figuratively an observer since he could not even speak or comprehend, and that the Office of the Governor virtually became an intensive care unit.
Last April 4, Nicart issued Memorandum Order No. 09-01 delegating his administrative
functions to Josephine Lyn Uy Hui, and Memorandum Order 09-02 expanding the “highly questionable authority” of Mark Joseph Uy Hui to sign checks not over P3 million and the 20 percent development fund.
The governor allowed the concerned officials, his relatives, to facilitate financial transactions, the complaint read.