PCSO chair Maliksi denies using position to pay for driver’s hospital bills

PHILIPPINE Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) chair Erineo “Ayong” Maliksi denied using his position to release P2 million in charity funds to his driver.

During the House of Representatives games and amusements committee hearing on Monday, Maliksi said it is not in his nature to use his position to expedite the release of charity funds to his employee Celestino Aman.

Maliksi made this reaction about a graft complaint filed against him before the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly using his position to release P2.151 million in charity funds for his late driver Aman.

Maliksi clarified that Aman was a member of his administrative staff, and not his driver.

“Gusto ko sabihin sa committee na ito na hindi lamang si Celestino Aman (ang tinutulungan namin). Lahat ng lumalapit sa akin para humingi ng tulong, nirerefer ko sa charity department,” Maliksi said.

“Hindi ko ginagawa yun,” he added, referring to allegations he used his position to give charity funds to his driver.

Maliksi also maintained that he did not sign the documents recommending the release of charity funds to Aman.

Committee chair Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga asked the PCSO charity assistance department officer-in-charge Rubin Magno who signed the feedback report authorizing the release of charity funds to Aman.

Magno said it was actually PCSO General Manager Jose Ferdinand Rojas who signed the report authorizing the release of P2.1 million for the hospitalization expenses of Aman at the Philippine Heart Center

Magno also said Rojas signed the guarantee letter.

For his part, Rojas said he only signed the letter and the report based on the recommendation of Maliksi.

“The amount is big, but I learned that it came from the office of the chairman. It was one of his personnel, and knowing very well that he’s an indigent, I told the charity assistance department that we can pay for the hospitalization,” Rojas said.

Barzaga asked Rojas why it was Maliksi who was sued when his signatures did not appear in the documents. Rojas only said he was not aware.

“The signature of Chairman Maliksi does not appear in any of the papers… And yet Chairman Maliksi was the one who was sued?” Barzaga asked.

“I’m not aware,” Rojas only said.

Barzaga, who is gunning for Dasmariñas mayor this year, is a province mate of Maliksi in Cavite. Maliksi is a Liberal Party member and a former governor and congressman of Cavite.

READ: Solons grill PCSO officials on medical aid for the poor

The House is investigating the allegations of abuse by Rojas and other board members and managers in fast tracking the release of charity funds even to the rich at the expense of indigent patients.

According to the graft complaint filed by Jennifer Castro of the Filipino Alliance for Transparency and Empowerment, Maliksi signed an endorsement letter for the release of P2.1 million in charity funds for Aman.

READ: PCSO chair Maliksi faces graft raps for using post to release P2M

“What is crucial is not the granting of the patient’s application for assistance of the PCSO, rather the amount being endorsed. It’s very evident that there was preferential treatment to Mr. Aman being the driver of the respondent,” the complaint read.

The PCSO only partly paid for Aman’s bills which ballooned to P2.851 million, but Maliksi using his capacity as PCSO chair supposedly used his unused P700,000 Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF) to pay for the remaining balance.

The complaint said Maliksi used his unused PDAF long after the Supreme Court declared the pork barrel system as unconstitutional. The high court required solons to return the unused pork to the treasury.

Maliksi is sued for the criminal offense of violating Sections 3(a) and 3(j) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and the administrative offense of violating Section 4(a) and 4(c) of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

Section 3(a) of the anti-graft law considers as corrupt the act of persuading, inducing or influencing another public officer to perform an act constituting a violation of rules and regulation, while Section 3(j) considers corrupt the act of knowingly approving or granting any license, permit, privilege or benefit in favor of an unqualified person.

Meanwhile, Section 4(a) of the Code of Conduct requires public officials to uphold public interest over personal interest, while Section 4(c) require them to act with justness and sincerity and not discriminate against anyone, especially the poor and underprivileged

Maliksi earlier faced a graft case before the Sandiganbayan stemming from an allegedly irregular procurement of medicines worth P2.5 million in 2002. But the court threw out the case over the Ombudsman’s inordinate delay in filing the case.

READ: Graft rap vs ex-Cavite governor dismissed over Ombudsman’s ‘inordinate delay’