‘WORST CORRUPTION0’: Gov. Defensor faces graft, technical malversation raps
- TBN News
- Oct 19, 2018
- 2 min read
FORMAL criminal and administrative complaints were filed against Iloilo Governor Arthur D. Defensor Sr. before the Office of the Ombudsman on Oct 18, 2018 by former provincial administrator Manuel “Boy” Mejorada.
Defensor faces offenses on technical malversation of public funds under Article 220 of the Revised Penal Code, violation of the Anti-graft and Corrupt Practices Act under the Section 3 (e) and (g) of Republic Act No. 3019 and violation of Section 1 (2) of Commission on Elections (COMELEC) resolution number 9585, series of 2012.
Mejorada said the case stemmed from the more than P17 million disbursed by the Defensor administration for financial, educational, medical and burial assistance during the 2013 election campaign period.
The amount was sourced from the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), covering the amount of P40,500,000 that was released in the middle of the March 2013 campaign period.
In a 12-page complaint, Mejorada said these disbursements came from the DAP, which the Supreme Court had ruled as illegal and unconstitutional, making these expenditures a violation of Article 220 of the Revised Penal Code.
Mejorada also accused Defensor of causing undue injury to the government and giving unwarranted benefits to the thousands of beneficiaries in giving out what he described as election dole-outs for his re-election bid in the May 13, 2013 elections.
This is a violation of Section 3 (e) of Republic Act No. 3019, he said.
The governor is also accused of violating the election ban on the spending of public funds during the 45-day campaign period.
Under Comelec Resolution No. 9585, series of 2012, the 45-day campaign period started on March 29, 2013 and ended on May 13, 2013.
“Despite not having obtained an exemption from the Comelec, Defensor went ahead to distribute the funds in the form of educational and financial assistance, authorizing disbursing officers of the Provincial Treasurer’s Office to release the money,” Mejorada said.
The governor also allegedly authorized cash advances to treasurer’s office for the distribution of burial assistance instead of releasing the money through individual vouchers.
Based on documents released by the Capitol, Defensor treated the disbursements as “routine and normal expenses” that do not an exemption from the Comelec, he said.
“These disbursements do not fall under that category,” he said.
Mejorada described these disbursements as the “worst corruption” he has seen in the province of Iloilo.
At the same time, administrative charges for serious dishonesty, grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty and conduct prejudicial to the interest of the service were also filed against Defensor.
Mejorada said he will ask the Ombudsman to preventively suspend Defensor in the course of its investigation on the allegations.
On the hand, Defensor said Mejorada’s charges were baseless.
“Let him do his worst. Kadamo-damo man na sang gin-akusar niya, te ang ginapang-akusar niya, imbes siya mang-akusar, siya ang na-condenar,” the governor said.
The Provincial Legal Officer Dennis Ventilacion added that they welcome the raps filed against the governor.
“We welcome the filing of the cases para mapamatud-an naton ang whole theory sang accusations niya kay Gov. Defensor,” Ventilacion said.
SOURCE: The Daily Guardian
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