Ombudsman affirms filing of raps vs ex-Nueva Ecija solon, ex-DA chief

MANILA, Philippines — The Office of the Ombudsman has affirmed its earlier resolution to file graft and malversation charges against former Nueva Ecija Rep. Rodolfo Antonino and former Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap, now Bohol representative.

 

The anti-graft body affirmed that there is probable cause to charge Antonino and Yap before the Sandiganbayan with two counts each of violation of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and another two counts each of malversation of public funds under the Revised Penal Code.

 

Also ordered charged with the same offenses were Alan Javellana, Rhodora Mendoza, Encarnita Cristina Munsod and Maria Ninez Guañizo, who are former officials of the now-defunct state firm National Agri-Business Corporation.

 

Also ordered charged were Marilou Antonio, representative of Buhay Mo Mahal Ko Foundation, Inc. (BMMKFI) and Carmelita Barredo of C.C. Barredo Publishing House.

 

The charges stemmed from the alleged misuse of P15 million of Antonino's Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel for 2007.

 

Based on the Office of the Ombudsman's investigation, Antonino endorsed NABCOR and BMMKFI to the DA as the implementors of a livelihood training kits (LTK) project in his district.

 

The ombudsman said the BMMKFI, through Antonino, supposedly procured from C.C. Barredo Publishing 7,275 sets of LTKs worth P2,000 each or a total of P14.55 million on March 22, 2007

 

The LTK sets were supposedly delivered to and received by Antonino on March 23 in Pasay City.

 

The ombudsman said field verification, however, revealed that none of the LTKs were delivered to the intended beneficiaries. The ombudsman said the project was also not supported by any proposal, physical and audited financial reports and monitoring reports.

 

The ombudsman said there was also no bidding held for the selection of the NGO as well as for the supplier of LTKs.

 

The ombudsman said the issues and arguments raised by the respondents in their motions for reconsideration “are mere rehashes of the issues and claims previously raised by them and already passed upon by the Office.”

 

The ombudsman maintained that “in a Congressional Pork Barrel System, including the PDAF, it is the legislator who exercises actual control and custody of the PDAF share allocated to him.”