Budget Secretary Florencio Abad Jr. FILE PHOTO
Budget Secretary Florencio Abad has disowned his alleged signature on the fake special allotment release orders (Saros) for P879 million worth of farm-to-market road (FMR) projects that the National Bureau of Investigation is looking into.
“I never affix my initials on Saros that DBM (Department of Budget and Management) authorizes for release. The fact that the Saros in question supposedly bear my initials already betrays the fact that these release documents are fake,” Abad said in a text message to the Inquirer.
A DBM source, who refused to be named for lack of authority to speak on the matter, said that aside from the signature of Budget Undersecretary Luz M. Cantor (who claimed her signature was forged), the fake Saros also had Abad’s initials on the margins of the document, indicating that it passed through the clearinghouse in his office.
Abad said he only mentioned two areas, Regions II (Cagayan Valley) and VI (Western Visayas), in a press conference in Malacañang on Monday, as the source of the fake Saros because the regional offices of the Department of Agriculture (DA) had alerted the DBM that the bogus documents came from these regions.
“We don’t doubt that other fake Saros may have made their way to other RFUs, as the P879 million that should have been for FMRs nationwide was represented by 12 separate Saros, none of which the DBM issued,” Abad said.
A day after Abad’s briefing, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said that the fake Saro scam was much bigger and broader than previously thought as fake Saros were also reported from the DA’s offices in Regions IV-A (Calabarzon) and XII (Soccsksargen).
De Lima said a lawmaker from Region II was being investigated by the NBI probe of the scam.
“We actually welcome the congressman’s disclosure about the alleged involvement of DBM officials in this scam. The information can help move this investigation along. I urge him to get in touch with me or the NBI—even if he does this anonymously—so we can pursue a solid lead for establishing the identities of those who may be involved in the scam,” said Abad.
Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala earlier reported that several mayors had complained about DBM officials demanding advances for the release of the fake Saros.
In a briefing, Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate said the House should immediately investigate the Region II lawmaker who could be involved in the fake Saro syndicate.