EX-MAGUINDANAO GOV IN HOT WATER
THE Office of the Ombudsman has found basis to file charges before the Sandiganbayan against former Maguindanao governor Datu Sajid Islam Ampatuan and then-provincial treasurer Osmeña Bandila in connection with a P500million farm-to-market road project.
According to a statement, the Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Ombudsman found probable cause Corrupt Practices Act, malversation, to charge the two with violation of render account.
It also found basis to charge then- provincial accountant John Estelito Dollosa and then- state auditor Danny Calib of the Commission on Audit (CoA) with graft render account.
Records show that the province entered into several memoranda of agreements (MOAs) with the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) for the construction and rehabilitation of the province’s farm-to-market roads at a cost of P500-million.
Respondents allegedly failed to submit liquidation reports, list of beneficiaries, and certificates of acceptance to support fund disbursements and project implementation despite “repeated demands” from DAR to account for the funds.
“As the head and representative of the province, respondent Ampatuan was primarily tasked by the MOAs to receive the funds and to oversee the implementation of the projects. There is no dispute that the province received the funds. The investigation conducted by the CoA, however, belie the assertion that the projects were implemented,” the Ombudsman alleged in its resolution.
CoA found that “the roads were in bad condition and far shorter than the reported lengths, and the reported accomplishments were no longer visible,” according to the statement.
“On the other hand, respondents Bandila, Dollosa and Calib tried to make it appear that the projects were implemented by executing the amount of P499,999,850 out of the P500,000,000 of the funds obtained from DAR was disbursed alleged in its resolution.
“These circumstances sufficiently establish that respondents Ampatuan, Bandila, Dollosa and Calib came to an agreement concerning the misappropriation of the funds and decided to commit the same,” the Ombudsman alleged.