Negros gov surrenders, posts bail

Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo and two other provincial government officials surrendered and posted P1.115 million bail yesterday in connection with the charges they are facing before the Sandiganbayan.

Degamo, provincial treasurer Danilo Mendez and accountant Teodorico Reyes showed up before the third division of the anti- graft court that ordered their arrest for alleged misuse of calamity funds.

The court earlier set the bail at P2.23 million each or P2.2 million for 11 counts of malversation through falsification of public documents and P30,000 for graft, but the respondents filed a joint motion to reduce it by half.

The court granted the motion, but required the respondents to pay in cash.

The case stemmed from the award of 11 infrastructure contracts amounting to P143.2 million even though the Department of Budget and Management recalled the Special Allotment Release Order after the provincial government failed to comply with the requirements and guidelines.

The infrastructure projects were supposed to be built in areas hit by Typhoon Sendong in December 2011 and a 6.9-magnitude earthquake in February 2012.

In a chance interview with reporters, Degamo dismissed the cases as “politically motivated.”

“These cases were initiated by my wealthy opponents in politics, whom I have defeated in the elections. I won without money,” Degamo said.

Degamo said he is confident he would be cleared of the charges.

“There was nothing irregular in the use of funds. The Court of Appeals rendered a decision on the administrative complaint against me… The court said there was no criminal intent in the use of the fund because there was really a calamity in our province,” Degamo said.