Agrarian officer indicted

THE Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas indicted the head of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Cebu City for failing to liquidate cash advances amounting to P94,400.50.

The anti-graft office recommended the filing of charges  against Virgilio Alcomendras for “failure of accountable officer to render accounts” in  violation of Presidential Decree No. 1445 or Ordaining and Instituting a Government Auditing Code of the Philippines.

Graft investigation and prosecution officer Mona Chica Cabanes-Gillamac found probable cause to indict Alcomendras, the provincial agrarian reform officer II and head of DAR in Cebu City.

Alcomendras earlier had unliquidated cash advances amounting to P127,678.50.

But he managed to pay a portion of the amount, the anti-graft office said.

In his counter-affidavit, Alcomendras said his travels were all authorized.

He said he should not be held criminally liable of misappropriating the funds. /Reporter Ador Vincent S. Mayol