Ombudsman raps Mayor Apostol of Cabangan, Zambales

The Office of the Ombudsman today ordered the filing of criminal charges against Mayor Ronaldo Apostol of Cabangan, Zambales.

Acting Ombudsman Orlando Casrimiro said that he recommended the filing of graft charges against Apostol for usurpation of authority for allegedly acting illegally as presiding officer of the executive session of the Sangguniang Bayan (SB) of Cabangan on Dec. 23, 2008.

Then Vice-Mayor Julius Bada said in his complaint that Apostol usurped his powers and duties as municipal vice-mayor and presiding officer of the Sangguniang Bayan.

Bada claimed that Apostol presided over the session, which was surreptitiously held to prevent its detection by him and eventually passed a resolution authorizing the purchase of firearms for use of SB members.

"In this case, respondent (Apostol) pretended that it is within his official function to preside over the sessions of the SB," the Ombudsman said in its resolution.

Casimiro said that the meeting "was not a mere consultative meeting" as what Apostol claims.

"Rather, the session 'authorizes a transaction with pecuniary implications,'" he said, insisting that the vice mayor is the designated as the Sangunniang Bayan presiding officer as stated in the Local Government Code. philstar.com

Former mayor in Zambales gets jail term for graft

A former municipal mayor in Zambales province was meted with 40 years imprisonment after being found guilty of malversation of public funds that stemmed from ghost projects during his term in office.

The Sandiganbayan found former Castillejos town mayor Teofilo Pantaleon Jr. guilty of two counts of malversation acts through falsification of public documents.

Aside from reclusion perpetua, the graft court also meted Pantaleon with perpetual disqualification from holding public office and a total fine of P201,706. The court also ordered him to return the government funds that he misused.

Court records revealed that Pataleon committed corrupt act when he forged the documents bearing an amount of P201,706 in favor of La Paz Construction for the repairs of the drainage system in his town’s public market. The fictitious contract was discovered in December 1996.

Another falsified contract was discovered through a check on November 1997 bearing the amount of P169,440 for the supposed improvement of the barangay roads connecting the villages of Casagatan-Looc, Nagbayan-Macupit and San Agustin proper-Mandamquez.

The graft complaints came when the owner of the LPC, Tiu Ken Suan, said he did not enter into such contracts with the local government units, while citing that he did not received any payment for the enumerated projects.

The graft court also discovered that there were no drainage repairs that happened in 1996, and no road projects that were conducted in the mentioned villages in 1997. philstar.com

Orozco Again Bags Top Resident Ombudsman Award

Mayor James “Bong” Gordon Jr. extended his commendations for City Legal Officer Atty. Angelito Orozco at the flag raising ceremonies held last August 24, 2009 at the Rizal Triangle Multi-Purpose Covered Court.

This is connection with Orozco’s feat as 2009 “Most Outstanding Resident Ombudsman” given by the Association of Resident Ombudsmen in Government Agencies (AROGA-Philippines).

Atty. Orozco bagged the feat and was also elected as National Executive Vice-President of AROGA by the 228 resident ombudsmen and 104 chiefs of offices of local government units of the Philippines who convened last August 17-19, 2009 at the Grand Men Seng Hotel in Davao City .

Ombudsman Merceditas N. Gutierrez awarded the certificates of recognition to Orozco and presided the oath-taking ceremonies of the newly elected officials of AROGA.

“As a resident ombudsman, we are tasked to study systems and procedures vulnerable to corruption and make recommendations to improve them; report anomalies, irregular acts, unethical conduct or illegal activities committed by the officials and employees of the offices where they are assigned and in the gathering of evidence in the investigations of the same,” Orozco explained.

It can be recalled that Orozco also bagged the same award last year at the 1st National Convention of Resident Ombudsmen held at Baguio City. Atty. Orozco also authored the constitution and by-laws of AROGA-Philippines and served as the Executive Vice President for Luzon of the said organization.


Mayor Bong Gordon proudly displays the certificate of recognition of City Legal Officer Atty. Lito Orozco (standing right), as the ‘’Most Outstanding Resident Ombudsman’’ for the second consecutive year of the Association of Resident Ombudsman in Government Agencies (AROGA-Philippines) before officials and employees of the city government during the flag raising ceremonies on August 24, 2009 at the Rizal Triangle Multi-Purpose Center.

Pao/sara

Ombudsman to probe BCDA execs, contractor

THE Office of the Ombudsman has found sufficient basis to proceed with its investigation of officials of the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) and the Japanese contractor Hazama-Taisei- Nippon Steel Joint Venture (HTN JV) in connection with the controversial P30-billion Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx) project.

Aleu Amante, OIC-director, PIAB-C, in a ruling dated June 11, 2009, asked the respondents to file their counter-affidavits and their own evidence within 10 days upon receipt of the order.

Named respondents were Gen. Narciso Abaya (ret.), BCDA president and CEO, lawyer Arnel Paciano Casanova, BCDA legal counsel and Maj. Gen Eduardo Lena (ret.), program manager for engineering and construction.

Also asked to give their sides were Japanese nationals Tadahiko Kajima, Makota Yoshida, Yoichi Inoue, Kunio Kimata and Tsunemi Nagata, court records revealed.

The case stemmed from the charges filed in February by Armando de Rossi, president and CEO of Construction Management and Consultancy Asia, Inc., (CMCAI), against the BCDA officials for alleged violation of RA 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Also included in the charge sheet were the earlier mentioned Japanese officials of Hazama-Taisei-Nippon Steel Joint Venture (HTN JV), one of two Japanese contractors of the 97-kilometer expressway project.

The respondents’ failure to submit their counter-affidavit shall be deemed a waiver and the proceeding shall continue according to existing rules, the Ombudsman said in the ruling.

In his complaint, De Rossi claimed HTN JV in complicity with BCDA officials, led by Abaya, failed to settle its obligation with his firm amounting to P59.280 million, representing professional and consultancy fees.

De Rossi claimed his engagement with HTN JV which started even prior to the actual bidding and award of the project resulted in the successful participation of the company in the multi-billion project.

He added that he provided the Japanese firm “valuable information” ranging from contracting procedure, design and scope of the competition to cost and quality estimates of the project. By: Paul M. Gutierrez - Journal online

ROAD SHOW SA ‘GAPO

Nagsagawa ng preliminary meeting ang Office of the Ombudsman at si City Mayor James ‘’Bong’’ Gordon, Jr. kaugnay sa National Anti-Corruption Program of Action (NACPA) Multi-Track Road Show na gaganapin sa April 18, 2008.

Kasama rin sa pulong ang mga city government department heads, barangay officials, non-government organizations, DepEd officials at media personalities.

Layon ng road show na ipaalam ang mga anti-corruption initiatives program na ginagawa ng pamahalaan sa pamamagitan ng Office of the Ombudsman.

Ang animo’y ‘’Unity Walk’’ na may temang ‘’Katiwalian ay Labanan, Maging Tapat sa Bayan’’ ay magsisimula sa Rizal Triangle Covered Court, ganap na ika-anim ng umaga, hanggang sa marating ang Olongapo City Convention Center (OCCC).

Samantala, may ibat-ibang public assistance program rin na ibibigay ang Office of the Ombudsman at si Mayor Bong Gordon sa mga residente ng lungsod at karatig-bayan na lalahok rin sa Road Show. Kabilang rito ang medical at dental services, pagsasa-ayos ng mga kinakailangang dokumento sa National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Birth at Marriage Certificates naman sa National Statistics Office (NSO) at PHILHEALTH cards distribution.

Ang Olongapo ang napili ng Office of the Ombudsman na ika-apat na lugar sa bansa na pag-darausan ng road show na nauna nang ginanap sa University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman sa Metro Manila, Davao at Cebu dahil sa pagiging sentro nito sa Region-3 . Pao/rem

Ombudsman orders 6-mth prevention suspension ...

Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas N. Gutierrez Friday ordered the six-month preventive suspension of 11 ranking officers of the Philippine Navy (PN) for alleged anomalous disbursement of public funds and in the procurement of medical supplies.

In a 10-page Order, Ombudsman Gutierrez approved the recommendation to place under a six-month preventive suspension without pay R/Adm. Constantino Jardiniano, Commander; Lcdr. Manuel Gimena, Commanding Officer, Headquarters Support Command; Mrs. Victoria Buhia; LTjg. Daniel Labrador, Procurement Officer; Ensign Annaleen Magdaraog; Rosemarie Siguinia Supply Accountable Officer; Skc. Edmundo Baluca, MPO Inspector; Lt. Joel Tamayo, Chief, Pre-Audit; Ssgt. G.M. Labaguis, Supply PO; all of the Naval Education and Training Command (NETC), Naval Station San Miguel, San Antonio, Zambales. NETC is an attached Command of the PN.

The case stemmed from a letter sent to the Office of the Ombudsman of the concerned officers and men of NETC Zambales denouncing the alleged irregular and anomalous conduct of Jardiniano.

In the investigation conducted by the OMB-Military and Law Enforcement Offices (OMB-MOLEO), it alleged "that respondents conspired and confederated in making the above-mentioned transactions and liquidations."

It cited discrepancies in the liquidation of cash advance in the years 2005 and 2006. It found out that during the calendar year 2005, Gimena received a total of P4.3 million in cash advances.

The liquidation submitted by the NETC before the Commission on Audit (COA) as of December 2005 reflected the same amount.

But in her Statement of Liquidation and Balance, respondent Buhia reported that the amount liquidated for the same year was only P4.8 million or a discrepancy of P478,837.

It also discovered that the documents submitted in support of the liquidation were spurious.

For the calendar year 2006, "the COA and NETC had reported the same amount of cash advance but there was still an unliquidated amount of P512,587.20".

It was also discovered by the OMB-Moleo investigation panel that the liquidations of cash advances were supported by spurious Official Receipts, Cash/Sales Invoices and there were no attached supporting documents.

The OMB panel also stated that the proceeds of the checks once encashed were received by either respondent Jardiniano or Magdaraog.

The panel also found out that "the medicines purchased by NETC from Calman Trading, Farmacia Callo, R.T. Franco Pharmacy and F.R. Estrada Pharmacy were not delivered to the recipient, Naval Station San Miguel (NSSM) Hospital."

It further alleged that NETC also made a purchase from Farmacia Pascasio for delivery to NSSM Dental Dispensary but the same was not delivered to the dispensary.

It stated in their complaint that the "respondents conspired with one another..... to make it appear that the medicines were delivered when in truth and in fact they were not."

In her Order, Ombudsman Gutierrez stated that the conditions required to merit the preventive suspension of respondent have been met.

She thus ordered the preventive suspension of the said officials and directed Armed Forces of the Phils. Chief of Staff Hermogenes Esperon Jr. to immediately implement the same. (PNA)