Bohol governor, lawmaker charged with graft over power, water deals

INTERIOR Secretary Mar Roxas hands over a check to Bohol Gov. Edgar Chatto. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — The Office of the Ombudsman continued its legal offensive as it brought separate criminal charges on Monday, against erring local government officials, including another major ally of President Aquino in the Visayas.

Bohol Gov. Edgardo Chatto, a member of the ruling Liberal Party (LP) and a staunch supporter of LP standard-bearer Mar Roxas, was indicted for graft in the Sandiganbayan for his alleged role in undervaluing the privatization of the water and electricity utilities in the province by P627 million in 2000.

At the time, Chatto headed the provincial council as vice governor.

Charged alongside him was incumbent Bohol Rep. Rene Relampagos who was then the governor when the provincial government entered into an agreement with the consortium of Salcon International Inc., Salcon Power Corp., Pure and Pam Inc., Salcon Philippine Inc. and Salcon Ltd.

Also indicted for violation of Republic Act No. 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, were provincial board members Arnold Lungay, Isabelito Tongco, Eufrasio Mascarinas, Concepcion Lim, Exequiel Madrinan, Severino Caberte, Tomas Abapo Jr., Francisco Alena Sr., Felix Uy and Renato Inocentes Lopez.

Dennis Villareal, president of the private consortium, was also included in the charge sheet as a private respondent.

In a three-page complaint signed by Assistant Special Prosecutor Manuel Soriano Jr., the Ombudsman said Chatto and the others violated the law by “conspiring and confederating with one another and impelled by a single criminal intent.”

It said the government officials agreed to sell the assets and franchises of the water services in Bohol for P80 million and the power supply for P75 million.

The anti-graft body said the agreement entered into by the public officials was “manifestly and grossly disadvantageous to the government” since the combined assets of the basic utilities were valued P782 million.

Meanwhile, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales approved the indictment for graft of former Camarines Norte Gov. Jesus Typoco and seven others over the alleged procurement of P5 million worth of liquid fertilizers without holding a public bidding in 2004.

The amount purportedly came from the P728 million in fertilizer funds which the national government allocated for the purchase of farm inputs and implements under the “Ginintuang Masaganang Ani Program” of the Department of Agriculture.

The funds, however, were allegedly used for the presidential campaign of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

“As governor and public official, (Typoco) is accountable for his actions relative to the contract he entered into,” the Ombudsman said in its resolution.

“Typoco cannot simply be exempted because he was then busy campaigning for the upcoming elections,” it added.

According to the Ombudsman, a total of P5 million was allocated to Camarines Norte for the purchase of agricultural supplies and vegetable seeds.  SFM