4 Quedancor officials face criminal charges

Office of the Ombudsman. PHOTO from www.ombudsman.gov.ph

MANILA, Philippines–The Office of the Ombudsman will formally charge officials of the Quedan and Rural Credit Guarantee Corp. (Quedancor) for releasing P1.5 billion worth of piggery inputs to four ineligible companies 10 years ago in a program dubbed as the “swine scam.”

In a 51-page resolution signed Sept. 26, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales said there is probable cause to indict Quedancor officials for releasing swine scam funds to four unqualified private suppliers—Silver Stock Resources Corp. (SSRC), BIRKS Agri-Livestock Corp. (BIRKS), Metro Livestock Inc. (MLI) and Farmerstrust Service Consortium Inc. (FSCI)—despite their failure to meet accreditation and eligibility requirements.

The swine loans were supposed to be given to livestock farmers in the provinces of Iloilo, Aklan, Capiz, Bataan, Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales.

To be charged are Regional Assistant Vice President (Region VI) Mario Molina, Iloilo District Supervisor Jose Antonio Muyuela, Iloilo Credit Assessment Group Unit Head Niño Tabuena and Acting Regional Assistant Vice President (Region III) Luisito Perez. Also to be indicted is Excel Salazar, an incorporator of SSRC.

Morales recommended that they be slapped with criminal charges for violation of Section 3(e) of the Antigraft and Corrupt Practices Act.

“The acts of public respondents and private respondent Salazar were concerted and aimed at the common objective of facilitating SSRC, BIRKS and MLI to corner most of the QSP (quotations for small purchases) despite their ineligibility, thus, establishing conspiracy,” said Morales.