Ex-Ecija lawmaker barred from government service

MANILA, Philippines — The Office of the Ombudsman has affirmed the dismissal and perpetual disqualification from public service of former Nueva Ecija third district representative Aurelio Umali in connection with the pork barrel scam.

In its recent order, the ombudsman said Umali and his co-accused Renato Manantan, former Department of Agriculture-Central Luzon director, failed to present any new evidence in their respective motions to reverse its Nov. 14, 2016 ruling.

“The motions are devoid of merit...They merely rehashed previous arguments and defense,” the order read. “None of them has shown that the office committed grave errors of facts or laws or serious irregularities prejudicial to their interest.”

The ombudsman had earlier found Umali and Manantan guilty of grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

Umali and Manantan were ordered dismissed, but since they were no longer in office, the ombudsman said the penalty is convertible to a fine equivalent to their salary for one year.

The ombudsman also ordered the forfeiture of retirement benefits and cancellation of civil service eligibility of the former officials.

The charges stemmed from Umali’s alleged misuse of P15 million of his Priority Development Assistance Fund or pork barrel in 2005.

The ombudsman said the fund was disbursed for the supposed implementation of Umali’s agricultural projects in Laur, Gabaldon, Bongabon, Sta. Rosa, General Natividad and Cabanatuan City, which according to graft probers were non-existent.

In its new ruling, the ombudsman did not give merit to Umali’s belated submission of sworn statements of the supposed beneficiaries of the project.

“They are not newly discovered evidence since those statements could have been taken and submitted early on,” the ombudsman said.