Eastern Samar execs accused of faking budget ordinance

MANILA, Philippines — Eastern Samar Gov. Marcelo Ferdinand Picardal and Vice Gov. Jonas Abuda have been accused of allegedly falsifying a budget ordinance to make it appear that the Sangguniang Panlalawigan or provincial board had approved the 2018 proposed annual budget of the province.

Picardal and Abuda are assuming their posts in acting capacity.

In a joint complaint filed before the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas in December, Picardal and Abuda as well as board secretary Franklin Robedizo were accused of falsifying an official document, dishonesty, grave misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service and conduct unbecoming of a public official.

Included as respondent in the complaint was Annabelle Echavez of the regional office of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for supposedly declaring as valid the appropriation ordinance submitted by the accused.

The complaint was filed by board members Aldwin Aklao, Karen Alvarez, Celestino Cabato, Annabelle Capito, Ma. Caridad Sison-Goteesan, Byron Suyot, Jaime Ty and Maximo Zacate.

The complainants said that on Feb. 23, 2018, Picardal, Abuda and Robedizo submitted to the DBM a falsified appropriation ordinance with a certification stating that the Sangguniang Panlalawigan approved on Jan. 5 the province’s annual budget amounting to P1.28 million.

The complainants said the ordinance and the certification were fake as these did not bear their signatures.

They said the proposed 2018 budget was not officially approved during the Jan. 5 session of the board. 

The complainants said that on that date, the board merely passed a resolution declaring the annual investment plan  for 2018 as “approved in principle.”

They said Picardal was required to submit within three days documents that would remedy the defects noted by the board in the AIP.

The board cited a ruling of the Department of the Interior and Local Government requiring the AIP to be the basis for the approval of the appropriation ordinance.

The complainants said the falsified appropriation ordinance was discovered during the board’s session on April 6, 2018, prompting them to withdraw a resolution declaring the AIP as “approved in principle.”