Then-Nueva Ecija Governor Aurelio Umali (second from right) leads the groundbreaking of Palayan City Business Hub, which will host government and private offices. The Ombudsman has ordered the filing of criminal charges against Umali over his alleged misuse of pork barrel funds when he was representative of the province in 2005. ARMAND GALANG / INQUIRER NORTHERN LUZON
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales on Wednesday approved the filing criminal complaint against a former representative of the 3rd district of Nueva Ecija and five others over the questionable use of his 2005 Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel.
In a 38-page resolution ordered charged with four counts of violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act No. 3019) and three counts of malversation are former Rep. Aurelio Umali, Janet Lim Napoles, Department of Agriculture (DA) officials Renato Manantan (regional executive director) and Narcisa Maningding (accountant). Also indicted are Anita Tansipek and Corazon Bautista, both from the Samahan ng mga Manininda ng Prutas sa Gabi, Inc.
Aside from criminal indictment, Umali and Manantan were found guilty of grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service and were ordered dismissed from the service. They were also meted the accessory penalties of perpetual disqualification from holding public office and forfeiture of retirement of benefits. In case of separation from the government service, the penalty shall be convertible to a fine equivalent to respondents’ one year salary.
Involved is the mishandling of P15-million PDAF fund intended for the acquisition of irrigation pumps and fertilizers. The agricultural implements were supposed to benefit his constituents in Laur, Gabaldon, Bongabon, Santa Rosa, General Natividad and Cabanatuan City.
Ombudsman investigators found that in 2005, Umali identified and endorsed the Samahan and the Masaganang Ani Para sa Magsasaka Foundation, Inc. (MAMFI), as NGO-partners. To implement the project, the DA downloaded P12million to MAMFI and P3million to the Samahan. Respondents made it appear that the funds were used to purchase 7,920 bottles of liquid fertilizers and 15 irrigation pumps.
However, the investigation revealed that “there was no real purchase at all since the liquid fertilizers had been sourced from another Napoles company, Nutrigrowth Philippines.” Similar findings of “ghost projects” were confirmed insofar as the alleged purchase of irrigation pumps.
Also, the Ombudsman probe also showed that the NGO lacked the credentials and the track record to implement multi-million peso projects. There was also the absence of a market survey and the identification of product standards for the agricultural implements, absence of a public bidding, usage of undated and unnumbered disbursement vouchers, and lack of delivery of irrigation pumps to the intended beneficiaries.
“To be able to divert substantial funds from the PDAF and the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Program funds, access had to be made available, and this was made possible by Umali who chose MAMFI and the Samahan to implement his livelihood projects,” stated the resolution.
It noted that, “Umali likewise signed the project proposals and endorsed said NGOs to facilitate the release of the funds to them.”
“The funds in question could not have been transferred to said NGOs if not for their certifications, approvals, signatures found in the disbursement vouchers and checks.” CBB