TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines – Former Bohol governor and now 1st district Representative Rene Relampagos, former vice governor and now Governor Edgardo Chatto, and 14 other officials were charged before the Sandiganbayan for violation of anti-graft and corrupt practices law.
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales signed the criminal charge, docketed as Criminal Case SB-15-CRM-0283, for alleged violation of the law when the respondents entered into joint venture contracts with power and water utilities that were “grossly disadvantageous” to the government.
Morales, in her resolution, said “there exists probable cause to indict the respondents” for alleged under-valuation of the assets of the Provincial Public Utilities Department’s power and water systems of the provincial government when it was put under the joint venture agreement.
Aside from Relampagos and Chatto, other respondents were now Vice Governor Concepcion Lim, and her former co-members of the Provincial Board, namely: Arnold Lungay, Isabelito Tongco, Eufrasio Mascarinas, Tomas Abapo Jr., Felix Uy, Exequiel Madrinan, Francisco Alesna Sr., Severino Caberte, Renato Lim, and Lemuel Digal.
A copy of the charge sheet, signed by assistant special prosecutor Manuel Soriano, also showed the other respondents: former provincial planning and development officer Juanito Cambangay, former provincial legal officer Inocentes Lopez, and Dennis Villareal, official of Salcon International Inc., Salcon Power Corp, Inc., and the consortium of Salcon Philippines, Inc. and Salcon Ltd.
The Sandiganbayan’s recommended bail bond is P30,000 for each respondent. The certification of the case stated that preliminary investigation proved there was “sufficient ground” for the filing of the case against the respondents. The prosecutor accused the respondents of allegedly “entering into contracts or transactions which are manifestly and grossly disadvantageous to the government” as a result of the joint venture on power and water utilities entered into and by the provincial government, led by Relampagos and Chatto, among others.
The respondents were accused of “conspiring and confederating with one another, and impelled by a single criminal intent, did then and there, willfully and criminally, on behalf of the Provincial Government of Bohol, enter into contracts or JVA with aforesaid Power Consortium and Water Consortium,” the charge stated.
Complainants said the assets and franchise of then Provincial Electric System “would be transferred to the Power Consortium for P75 million,” while under the contract or JVA the assets and franchise for Provincial Water System “would be transferred to the Water Consortium for P80 million,” or a total of P150 million for both the PES and PWS.
The transfer of such assets and franchises of the PES and PWS, comprising the former PPUD, owned and managed by the provincial government under the JVA, was contrary to the combined worth of both utilities ay P782 million (P135 million for their combined fixed assets and P647 million for their franchises). (FREEMAN)