Sandigan orders arrest of Iloilo ex-gov Tupas for graft over electricity deal

ILOILO CITY—The Sandiganbayan has ordered the arrest of former Iloilo Gov. Niel Tupas for graft charges in relation to the payment of unconsumed electricity to a power supplier.

 
The Sandiganbayan’s Fifth Division issued the warrant last Thursday but released it on Monday, according to lawyer Ma. Teresa Pabulayan, the division’s clerk of court.

READ: Iloilo ex-gov Niel Tupas Sr. indicted over electricity deal

 
Tupas, a close ally of President Aquino in the ruling Liberal Party and father and namesake of Iloilo Rep. Niel “Junjun” Tupas Jr., maintained that he was innocent of the charges but said he would surrender to and post bail before the anti-graft body.

 
“It was a valid appropriation of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan. I will face the charge and the arrest warrant,” he told the INQUIRER in a telephone interview.

 
The Ombudsman accused Tupas and three other former officials and incumbent provincial officials for violation of the Republic Act 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act) after it found that the provincial government paid power supplier Green Core P5.88 million for electricity from December 2009 to April 2010 when its actual usage was only P1.88 million.

 
The billing was based on the contracted energy of 1,084,814.50 kWh even if the actual energy consumption of the provincial government was only 515,180.50kWh.

 
“I did not pocket a single centavo from that contract. Our power supply was unstable at that time and we expected a sharp increase in demand for electricity,” the former governor told the INQUIRER in an earlier interview.

 
He said he had asked Green Core for an adjustment of the supply, but Green Core only reduced the amount from June 26, 2010 to Dec. 25, 2011.