The Office of the Ombudsman has indicted former Nueva Ecija governor Aurelio Umali and 18 others for the illegal repacking and distribution of relief goods from the Department of Social Welfare and Development in 2016.
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales approved the filing of charges of violations of Section 3 (c) of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and Section 19 or RA 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Reduction and Management Act against Umali, Emmanuel Antonio Umali, Gabriel Calling, Johnero Mercado, Leoncio Daniel, Emelita Muyot, Fannie Bugayong, Lutgarda Domingo, Teresa Castelo, Irenea Palma, Ramon Garcia, Richard Medina, Edna Bolisay, Melchor Morales, Caesar Cipriano, Joel Del Mundo, Fortune Ferdinand Eusebio, Mary Antonette Feliciano and Jovic Hernandez.
“The above-mentioned respondents’ combined acts indubitably point to a joint purpose or design. Their concerted actions clearly showed that conspiracy existed in the illegal repacking and distribution of relief goods sourced from the DSWD. Said respondents gave themselves, their political party and their party mates unwarranted benefits, advantage and preference when they distributed the goods to their constituents in gift-giving activities that they organized, making it appear that they procured the goods from other sources and are not provided by the DSWD,” the resolution read.
“Such event gained extra mileage over their opposing candidates at the expense of the government. What is more reprehensible and indicative of manifest partiality and evident bad faith is that they took advantage of the vulnerability of their constituents being victims of the typhoon by committing the acts at the time their constituents mostly needed genuine help from their leaders.”