Ombudsman clears ex-city mayor in Pampanga tagged in ‘overpriced’ COVID aid
Edwin Santiago—CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO— The Office of the Ombudsman has dismissed the graft and administrative charges against former City of San Fernando Mayor Edwin Santiago and seven other officials over alleged misuse of COVID-19 relief funds for residents of this capital city of Pampanga province.
In a resolution signed Feb. 3 but only released to the media on Friday, Ombudsman of the Philippines Samuel Martires dismissed the graft and administrative charges against Santiago due to lack of probable cause and substantial evidence.
Martires also cleared 10 administrative aides of the former mayor and three private contractors named respondents in the case, which was built on accusations of involvement in the alleged overpricing of relief goods given to residents during the lockdown shortly after the coronavirus pandemic struck in March 2020.
Santiago on Sunday welcomed the resolution of the case against him.
“It is good that the cases were dismissed. These show that our bureaucracy [in San Fernando] is working and compliant with laws. In 2015, we got an ISO (International Organization for Standardization) certification in procurement, accounting and disbursement. These transparency measures protected us in local government,” he said in a phone interview.
Santiago was the city’s mayor for nine years, serving three consecutive terms from 2013 t0 2022.
Claims belied
Melchor Caluag, former chief of Barangay Dolores in the city, filed the cases against Santiago and the other officials on June 19, 2020, accompanied by then Local Government Undersecretary for Barangay Affairs Martin Diño, following an investigation by the city council into unspent COVID-19 response funds amounting to P20 million.
Caluag accused Santiago of procuring overpriced goods, such as rice, cans of sardines and thermal scanners. But “no report of any irregularities as found by the [city council] was presented,” the Ombudsman resolution said.
“Verily, records show that the [Commission of Audit], after conducting six audits for the period 31 March 2020 to 31 December 2021, found that the office of respondent Santiago, representing the government of City of San Fernando, Pampanga, has zero notice of disallowance, suspension and charges, thereby belying complainant’s claim of overpricing and/or irregularities in the procurement made March 2020 to June 2020,” the resolution said.
The Inquirer sought Caluag’s comment but messages sent to him were unanswered as of Sunday.
The complainant is the husband of the city’s mayor, Vilma Caluag, who won the mayoralty seat in 2022.
