Puerto Princesa tourism execs charged with graft

MANILA, Philippines - Four officials of the Puerto Princesa City Tourism Office have been charged with graft before the Sandiganbayan for allegedly soliciting money for tourism activities and other projects.

Aileen Cynthia Amurao, head of the city tourism office, and tourism operations officers Joyce Enriquez, Michie Meneses and Michael Angelo Aquino Jr. were accused of sending solicitation letters to tourism-oriented groups, private entities and other individuals from February to April 2014, said graft investigation and prosecution officer Irmina Bautista.

The amount of money that the respondents allegedly solicited or received was not indicated in the charge sheet.

The ombudsman said Amurao, Enriquez, Meneses and Aquino “took advantage of their positions” to solicit or accept favor from private parties. 

Section 7 (d) of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees prohibits public officials from soliciting or accepting directly or indirectly “any gift, gratuity, favor, entertainment, loan or anything of monetary value from any person in the course of their official duties or in connection with any operation being regulated by, or any transaction which may be affected by the functions of their office.”

The ombudsman set the  bail at P10,000 each.