2 former solons charged again in pork scam
Former La Union Rep. Thomas Dumpit Jr. and former Cotabato Rep. Gregorio Ipong have been charged again at the Sandiganbayan for another round of pork barrel scam cases.
Dumpit and Ipong were separately accused of misusing P5.85 million and P4.9 million of their Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) allocations in 2008 and 2007, respectively.
In both cases, the PDAF-funded livelihood projects were allegedly not implemented.
TRC officials involved
Officials of the Technology Resource Center (TRC), the now-defunct state corporation tapped to implement the legislators’ pet projects, are involved in both cases.
Dumpit was accused of unilaterally endorsing Aaron Foundation Philippines Inc. (AFPI) and Kabuhayan at Kalusugang Alay sa Masa Foundation Inc. (KKAMFI) as partner nongovernment organizations (NGOs) in 2008.
The NGOs were tapped for a P5.4-million project to hold livelihood seminars and the purchase of livelihood technology kits worth P450,000.
Dumpit’s selection of the NGOs was deemed irregular because it skirted the public bidding requirement under the Government Procurement Reform Act.
The foundations were also allegedly unqualified to undertake the projects.
The TRC officials allegedly failed to carefully examine and verify the qualification of AFPI and KKAMFI when they certified the expenses as necessary, cleared the completeness of the supporting documents and issued the corresponding checks.
Liquidation documents
The foundations’ officers, meanwhile, were faulted for preparing liquidation documents that made it appear the ghost projects were implemented.
Dumpit himself allegedly concurred in the KKAMFI project proposals and signed the checks issued to AFPI.
Dumpit was charged with four counts each of graft and malversation, along with TRC Director General Antonio Ortiz, group managers Francisco Figura and Ma. Rosalinda Lacsamana, budget officer Consuelo Espiritu and chief accountant Marivic Jover.
Prosecutors recommended P280,000 bail for the eight criminal charges for the accused.
TRC Deputy Director General Dennis Cunanan and employee Helen Ko Chung were indicted for two counts each of graft and malversation in the AFPI cases.
Their coaccused include AFPI project implementer Pio Ronquillo and officers Bernadette Cabrera, Aurora Trinidad, Isabel Borja, Roderick Estacio, Analyn Bonifacio, Maricel Jacob, Morrys Ang, Fe Magtira/Magtirao, Reynaldo Guevarra, Luisita Sese, Al Ablaza and Alejandro Orpilla.
