Credit two hits to the graftbusters.
The Office of the Ombudsman filed charges against executives of the Cordillera Administrative Region’s Environment Management Bureau and at the same time against a former mayor of Bohol and a member of the town council.
In the first case, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales indicted EMB regional director Joel Salvador, accountant II Asterio Tolentino Jr., and budget officer Perlita Mauri for violation of Article 220 or illegal use of public funds of the Revised Penal Code.
Tolentino faces three counts of violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Officer in charge Rolando Reyes faces two counts of violation of Section 3(e), while Tolentino, Mauri and contractors David Dominong and Mariano Ang of Pyramid Hardware Construction Supply (PHCS) each face one count of violation of the anti-graft law.
The complaint filed by the Ombudsman’s Public Assistance and Corruption Prevention Office was anchored on the report of the Commission on Audit.
In a 24-page resolution, the Ombudsman stated that there was collusion between Salvador, Tolentino Jr. and Mauri in carrying out the realignment of the earmarked funds for the implementation of the ccological solid waste management project of Tuba, Benguet, and instead used the fund for the building rehabilitation project.
The Ombudsman raised “there is no showing that authority to realign the budget was secured by the management” thus, “their collaborative acts gave way to illegal expenditure of public fund intended for another purpose.”
To support the charges against Salvador, Reyes, Tolentino, Jr., Mauri, Ang and Dominong for violation of Section 3(e) of RA 3019, it was found that the award to Dominong of the construction contract for the regional director’s office and the purchase of construction materials from PHCS of P758,998.07 were transacted without the requisite public bidding in violation of the provisions of Republic Act 9184, or the Government Procurement Reform Act.
The payment to suppliers Ang and Dominong were facilitated despite the non-performance of the contracted labor and deliveries of construction materials, lack of purchase orders, certificate of inspection and assessment, and the release of the retention money to the contractor was made despite the existence of defects in the construction project.
The charges against acting cashier Hermilina Lausa and officer in charge of the administrative and finance division Ligaya Garcia were dismissed for lack of probable cause.
Meanwhile, the Ombudsman also directed the filing before the Sandiganbayan against Baclayon ex-mayor Felix Uy, his wife Marilyn Uy, incumbent Sanguniang Bayan member, and Vice Mayor Joel Oppus for corrupt practices over the award of a 25-year lease contract in the town’s public market.
In November 1996, a lease contract for a stall in the public market was entered into between Oppus and Marilyn for 25 years, renewable for another 25 years.
Records showed that other lease contracts in the market provide for a contract duration of only five years.
Neither proof of bidding nor Marilyn’s lease application was submitted, the Ombudsman said.
At the time of the contract signing, Felix was in the United States.
“There is reason to believe that Felix’s visit abroad was timed precisely to provide a smokescreen for the prohibited transaction” as “the contract was entered into just two days after Felix left for the United States,” the Ombudsman said.