Ombudsman finds 2 former officials liable for graft

The Office of the Ombudsman has indicted two former officials of Daanbantayan, Cebu over the allegedly anomalous release of a P500,000 livelihood aid to a quail raisers’ group in 2007.

The anti-graft office found former mayor Ma. Luisa Loot and former councilor Samuel Moralde liable of violating Sec. 3(e) of Republic Act 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

“Respondents acted with evident bad faith, manifest partiality or gross inexcusable negligence,” said Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales.

Loot and Moralde will face trial before the Sandiganbayan for malversation of public funds and one count of violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Last Jan. 31, 2007, RBA Quail Raisers’ Association asked for financial assistance from the Daanbantayan Municipal Government for the expansion of its agri-business.

RBA, chaired by Moralde, entered into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Municipal Government, which extended P500,000 as loan assistance to the group last Feb. 28, 2007.

During the project implementation, however, auditors found out that Loot and Moralde failed to comply with the conditions in the agreement.

These include periodic monitoring and evaluation of the project, and monitoring of records of all transactions to ensure the loan will be paid. At present, the loan assistance remains unpaid. Replying to the charges, Moralde said that the devastation caused by Typhoon Frank in June 2008 forced the RBA to seek a loan condonation.

Moralde also said that their documents were “destroyed” by super typhoon Yolanda in 2013.

But the Ombudsman rejected the respondents’ defense, saying that the mayor entered into a deal with the RBA without the town council’s authority.

Loot also failed to observe diligence in ensuring that the loan will be paid.

The Ombudsman added that the non-enforcement of RBA’s contractual obligations by Loot is “indicative of negligence,” thus, giving “unwarranted benefit, preference or advantage in favor of respondent Moralde, who, for his part, also failed to comply with the provisions of the MOA.”

The Ombudsman also said there was nothing in the records that would show that the RBA made a request for the condonation of their loan. /