Ex-Albay rep welcomes filing of graft case

LEGAZPI CITY—Former Albay Third District Rep. Reno Lim on Monday said he welcomed the filing by the Ombudsman of graft charges against him, to clear his name of allegations of the anomalous use of P27 million of his pork barrel in 2007.

In a phone interview on Monday, Lim said he had yet to receive any summons from the Ombudsman regarding the graft and malversation of fund cases slapped against him in the Sandiganbayan but he expressed confidence he could answer the charges.

He earlier insisted his signature was forged in the spurious documents that accompanied the P27-million expense charged to the now defunct Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) when he was representative of the third district of Albay province in 2007.

The fund was used supposedly to purchase instructional materials/livelihood kits, none of which were found to have reached his constituents.

“I welcome the investigation … I commend Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales in conducting a thorough investigation on the matter. The filing of charges would correct the procedures in government project implementation in the future,” he said on the phone.

He said he had documents that would prove the transaction was based on standards set by the government for PDAF projects.

Lim said he did not believe politics had anything to do with the filing of the complaint against him as he was now busy managing his telecommunications business in Manila. However, Lim’s brother, Raul, is running for vice governor of Albay in the 2016 elections.