Atty. Richard Cambe. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales has ordered the perpetual ban of 13 officials from government service for the misuse of former Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr.’s pork barrel funds amounting to P517 million.
Morales ordered the dismissal of Revilla’s aide Richard Cambe and officials from three government corporations after finding them guilty of grave misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, and dishonesty.
Besides Cambe, the other dismissed officials included Technology Resource Center (TRC) director-general Dennis Cunanan, chief accountant Marivic Jover, budget officer Consuelo Lilian Espiritu; National Livelihood Development Corp. (NLDC) president Gondelina Amata, Gregoria Buenaventura, directors Emmanuel Alexis Sevidal and Chita Jalandoni, project development officer Sofia Cruz, chief budget specialist Ofelia Ordoñez, and Evelyn Sucgang; National Agribusiness Corp. (Nabcor) general services supervisor Victor Roman Cacal and administrative and finance head Rhodora Mendoza.
The dismissal order carries the accessory penalties of perpetual disqualification from holding public office and forfeiture of all retirement benefits. In case of separation from government service, the dismissal penalty is convertible to a fine equivalent to one year’s salary.
The administrative penalty arose from the use of Revilla’s Priority Development Assistance Fund allocations from 2007 to 2009 for alleged ghost projects in partnership with dubious nongovernment organizations linked to Janet Lim-Napoles.
The Ombudsman highlighted “the extraordinary speed attendant to the examination, processing and approval by the concerned Nabcor, NLDC and TRC officers of the PDAF releases to the Napoles-affiliated or controlled NGOs.”
Morales held that “the required careful examination of the transaction’s supporting documents could not have taken place if the [disbursement voucher] was processed and approved in one day./rga
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