3 OTC execs suspended for corruption

MANILA, Philippines — Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade has suspended the chairman of the Office of Transportation Cooperatives (OTC) along with two other officials over corruption allegations.

In a suspension order issued on June 29, OTC chairman Emmanuel Virtucio, executive director Eugene Pabualan and finance and administrative division chief and special disbursing officer Wilfredo Clave Jr. were slapped with a 90-day preventive suspension.

The officials were suspended “due to grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service” and were given 72 hours to respond to the charges.

On Dec. 15, 2017, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said it downloaded P3.3 million to the OTC for the implementation of the public utility vehicle modernization program.

The Commission on Audit report for 2017 found that the OTC immediately released the total amount as cash advances: P2 million to Pabualan and P1.3 million to Clave, which they deposited in their respective personal accounts.

Of the amount, only P33,000 was liquidated by Pabualan while Clave liquidated only P537,255.36, leaving an unliquidated balance of P2,729,744.64, the agency reported.

Tugade said no more funds will be given to the OTC until the first P3.3 million released to the office is fully liquidated.

He said he wants an explanation from the officials as to where the money was used and why it was deposited in their personal account or “they will never again step foot in their offices.”