Ex-Leyte solon indicted over P24-M pork barrel scam

The Office of the Ombudsman (File photo by NINO JESUS ORBETA / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Former Leyte Representative Eduardo Veloso was indicted by the Ombudsman with graft and malversation for the alleged anomalous use of his P24.2 million pork barrel funds.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Office of the Ombudsman said it found probable cause to charge Veloso with two counts of violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, as well as two counts of malversation.

This after the Ombudsman’s field investigators found that Veloso’s 2007 Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) that was intended for his constituents’ livelihood and development projects had been allegedly spent on ghost projects.

Local government officials denied they received any livelihood or developmental packages from Veloso, the Ombudsman said.

The Commission on Audit’s observation also showed that the Aaron Foundation Philippines, Inc. (AFPI), which Veloso endorsed had no financial capability to undertake the project, with a measly capital stock contribution of P68,000.

The NGO even declared a net loss of P5,840 in 2007, the Ombudsman said.

Veloso requested that the Technology Resource Center (TRC) be the implementing agency with AFPI as NGO-partner, audit records showed.

The Ombudsman also found probable cause to charge the following officials of the implementing agency for their failure to present project beneficiaries and submit liquidation documents: TRC executives Antonio Ortiz, Dennis Cunanan, Marivic Jover, Francisco Figura and Maria Rosalinda Lacsamana.

In its Resolution, the Ombudsman said the TRC officials “did not even bother to conduct a due diligence audit” on the AFPI on its qualification to implement the livelihood project.

The TRC officials relied on the “sole representation of Congressman Veloso and AFPI to undertake the projects in contravention on existing procurement laws and regulations,” the Ombudsman said.

The memoranda of agreement (MOA) entered into between Veloso and the NGO were also “defective” because it failed to indicate the project beneficiaries, the supplier of the livelihood materials, and the project durations, the Ombudsman added.

The MOAs also lacked the provisions on the systems, procedures and standards which the NGO must adhere to in the implementation and completion of the projects, the Ombudsman added. JPV/JE