‘ANOMALOUS’ AID LEADS TO GRAFT CASE AGAINST LOOT

The case stemmed from a complaint that former Daanbantayan mayor Ma. Luisa Loot and former town councilor Samuel Moralde granted livelihood assistance to an association without the town council’s authority. An audit of the transaction showed that the former officials did not comply with the conditions of the aid, indicating ‘evident bad faith, manifest partiality or gross inexcusable negligence,’ the ombudsman said

Two former officials of Daanbantayan, Cebu are facing graft charges before the Sandiganbayan over the allegedly anomalous release of livelihood aid to a quail raisers’ group amounting to P500,000 in 2007.

Charges for violation of Sec. 3 (e) of Republic Act No. 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, were filed against Ma. Luisa Loot and Samuel Moralde, former town mayor and councilor, respectively.

The criminal cases for malversation of public funds and one count of violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act were raffled to the Sandiganbayan’s Sixth Division last April 13.

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales indicted the accused for acting with “evident bad faith, manifest partiality or gross inexcusable negligence.”

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

The association, chaired by Moralde, entered into a memorandum of agreement with the Municipal Government, which granted P500,000 loan assistance to the group last Feb. 28, 2017. Audit

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

These include periodic monitoring and evaluation to ascertain the progress and accomplishment of the projects, proper utilization of the fund and compliance; and monitoring of records of all transactions of the quail raising project to ensure its repayment. The loan assistance remains unpaid.

Replying to the charges, Moralde claimed 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 Typhoon Yolanda in November 2013.

In the ruling, the anti-graft court rejected the respondents’ defense, saying the mayor entered into a deal with RBA without authority from the town council.

Loot also failed to observe diligence in granting the loan to ensure its repayment.

The ombudsman said that 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 association requested for condonation.