9 state firm execs dismissed over ‘pork’

The Office of the Ombudsman has imposed fresh administrative sanctions on nine executives of defunct state firms over the alleged misuse of a former lawmaker’s pork barrel allocations in yet another case of pork scam.

The Ombudsman imposed the penalty of dismissal on the officials for grave misconduct, serious dishonesty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

The same officials were previously slapped with administrative liability in other cases involving the priority development assistance fund proceeds, or pork barrel, of other lawmakers.

They were National Agribusiness Corp. manager Romulo Relevo and bookkeeper Maria Ninez Guañizo; National Livelihood Development Corp. directors Emmanuel Alexis Sevidal and Chita Jalandoni, and division chiefs Gregoria Buenaventura, Ofelia Ordoñez and Sofia Cruz, and Technology Resource Center chief accountant Marivic Jover and budget specialist Consuelo Espiritu.

Since they have long been separated from government service, the fresh dismissal penalties are convertible to a fine equivalent to one year’s salary. On top of this, they have been perpetually banned—again—from government employment.