Irrigation officials in Caraga region face graft, corruption charges
MANILA, Philippines—Graft and corruption charges were filed against officials of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) in Caraga (Region XIII) for their alleged involvement in multi-million peso anomalous projects since 2012, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) said Friday.
Caraga region is composed of the provinces of Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur and Dinagat Islands.
The CIDG said two former NIA Regional Managers, Modesto Membreve and Dexter Patrocinio, and the present NIA Regional Manager of Caraga, Encarnacion Soriano were filed charges before the Office of the Ombudsman in violation of RA 3019 (Graft And Corrupt Practices Act) and RA 9184 (Procurement Law).
The said officials were involved in the anomalous implementation of NIA projects worth 119 million pesos.
“Investigators learned that funds were already released in early 2012 to the implementing NIA regional office in Caraga, but up to the present, the projects are still not finished. Technical specialists also found that the materials used in the said projects were substandard and prescribed specifications were grossly not followed,” Police Director Benjamin B. Magalong of CIDG said.
“More charges will be filed before the Office of the Ombudsman against the said NIA key officials and 50 other individuals, covering anomalous projects in Las Nieves, Agusan del Norte,” Magalong added.
The police official said the criminal raps filed were just the beginning of series of investigations on reports of widespread anomalies in the implementation of NIA projects worth hundreds of millions, committed by several key officials in the said agency.
CIDG is one of the agencies in a Joint Special Investigating Team created on orders of President Benigno Aquino III to investigate the anomalies involving NIA officials in Caraga.
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