Medellin ex-mayor Ramirez cleared of admin raps

CEBU, Philippines — The Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas has cleared former Medellin mayor Ricardo Ramirez of the criminal complaint filed against him for allegedly failing to liquidate his cash advances in 2009.

Ramirez was charged for violating Article 218 of the Revised Penal Code.

Graft investigation and prosecution officer III Maria Bernadeth Andal-Subaan, in her eight-page resolution, dismissed the complaint for lack of probable cause.

"The evidence thus weighs in favor of respondent that he would not have been granted the cash advances for the years 2010 and 2011, had he not liquidated his previous cash advances. Accordingly, the Office finds no sufficient basis to hold respondent for trial," read the resolution.

In 2017, the Field Investigation Office (FIO) of the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas filed a complaint against Ramirez after he allegedly failed to liquidate his cash advances amounting to P1.1 million in 2009.

Commission on Audit (COA) Circular No. 2003-03 (Audit and Liquidation of Intelligence and Confidential Funds of Local Government Units) requires that the liquidation of a cash advance chargeable to the intelligence/confidential fund should be submitted directly to the chairperson of the COA for post-audit within one month from the date the purpose of the cash advance was accomplished.

However, Ramirez allegedly failed to comply with the COA Circular according to the FIO.

Ramirez, in his counter-affidavit, claimed that contrary to the allegation filed against him, he was able to comply with the required liquidations.

In fact, he was never given any notice that the 2009 liquidation reports of the funds released to him went missing or not in the possession of the COA.

He stressed had he not complied with the required liquidations, the succeeding intelligence/confidential funds for 2010 to 2014 would not have been released.

Upon evaluation of the evidence, Subaan ruled in favor of Ramirez and dropped the complaint. (FREEMAN)