Bogo City official cleared of raps

CEBU, Philippines - For lack of substantial evidence, the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas dismissed the administrative case against Bogo City assistant treasurer Julio Ursonal over the alleged unlawful implementation of the P20 million Department of Agriculture fund loaned to then municipal officials and employees.

 Ursonal was charged for grave misconduct for being a signatory to the memorandum of agreement between the municipality and the Bogo Municipal Employees Multi-Purpose Cooperative as president and chairman of the board.

However, graft investigation and prosecution officer Portia Pacquiao said, “There is neither allegations nor evidence that respondent has violated a law by being a signatory to the MOA between the municipality and BMEMPC.”

 While there is an allegation that the implementation of the P20 million financial assistance under the Ginintuang Agrikulturang Makamasa Program was irregular and unlawful, Pacquiao said there are no particulars of the circumstances as to what made the implementation irregular and what participation therein was attributed to respondent aside from his being a signatory to the MOA.

 The decision was rendered on October 26, 2015 and approved by Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Paul Elmer Clemente on February 4, 2016, Ursonal received a copy of the decision a few days ago.

 In March 2007, DA received the amount supposedly intended for the GAM Program that seeks to address concerns like food security, poverty alleviation and social equity, farmers’ income enhancement and profitability, and sustainability.

 Upon the request of then congresswoman Clavel Asas-Martinez, the DA transferred the amount to then Municipality of Bogo for implementation through a MOA between the Municipality and the DA-7.

 However, Bogo had entered into a MOA with the BMEMPC, which became a conduit for the implementation of the GAM program.

 The BMEMPC disbursed between April and May 2007 the P20-million financial assistance to its 179 members. —(FREEMAN)