Erice files 4th set of graft raps against former ally Echiverri

Caloocan Vice Mayor Edgar Erice filed Wednesday a formal complaint against Mayor Enrico Echiverri and seven other city officials over their alleged illegal use of barangay (village) funds to pay for multicabs which, according to him, were overpriced.

Also named in the complaint filed with the Office of the Ombudsman were city administrator Russel Ramirez, secretary to the mayor Kristine Abustan, city engineer Rolando Eduria, city treasurer Evelyn Garma, accountant Edna Centeno, general services officer Caroliza de los Santos and budget officer Jesusa Garcia.

The charges were filed a day after the Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Echiverri in another graft case filed by the vice mayor against him in July.

In a 13-page resolution, the appellate court’s Special 14th Division indefinitely prevented the Office of the Ombudsman from implementing a suspension order it issued against Echiverri, who had been accused of failing to remit more than P300 million in remittances made by city government employees to the Government Service Insurance System.

In his fourth complaint against Echiverri, Erice accused the mayor and the other officials of using “without legal authority” more than P116 million to pay for 150 overpriced multicabs, insurance premiums and seminars.

Erice said the money was taken from the share of barangays from the city government’s business tax collections from 2005 to 2010.

Under Section 272 (b) of Ordinance No. 0386 s. 2004, or An Ordinance Enacting the Updated Caloocan City Revenue Code of 2004, the city’s 188 barangays are entitled to 10 percent of the business tax and miscellaneous tax collections.

Erice said that in a letter to the executive director of the finance department’s Bureau of Local Government, Garma, the city treasurer, had admitted that the P116 million was used to pay for the insurance premiums of barangay officials in 2006 (P11,040,000); the conduct of barangay seminars in 2006 (P18,770,230), 2007 (P17,860,000) and 2008 (P28,050,000); and the purchase of 150 multicabs in 2007 (P40,500,000).

According to Erice, the actions of the respondents were illegal since only barangay officials had “exclusive authority and discretion” over the use of the money which constituted part of their funds.

Jun Paclibar, officer-in-charge of the city public information office, said that the respondents were ready to face the charges leveled against them.

Paclibar added that Erice’s moves were “obviously politically motivated,” considering that the appellate court had just ruled in favor of the mayor in connection with the graft case Erice had filed against him.