Senate OKs recommendation to file raps in P255.5M Gensan RROW scam

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate has approved the recommendation to file charges against several government officials and private persons over the P255.5 million road right-of-way (RROW) scam in General Santos City.

During Wednesday night’s Senate session, no one objected to the motion to adopt the Blue Ribbon committee report which recommended raps against officials of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Land Registration Authority (LRA), the Department of Natural Resources (DENR) City Assessors Office, and the judiciary involved in the RROW scam.

These include LRA chief Ser John Pastrana and General Santos head of Assessors office Leonard Dinopol.

Senator Richard Gordon, the chair of the Blue Ribbon committee said the report should send a “strong signal” to other government officials “in terms of doing their duties to the country.

“This is a signal to all in terms of doing their duties to the country and certainly I hope this report sends a very strong signal to everybody,”  Gordon said in his sponsorship speech.

The committee also recommended that lifestyle checks be made on the government officials involved in the controversy.

Among the government officials that were recommended to be charged with violations of Republic Act No. 3019 or the Anti-graft and Corrupt Practices Act; RA 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees; Revised Penal Code Article 210 on Direct Bribery; Revised Penal Code Article 210 on Indirect Bribery:

1. Leonardo Dinopol (also recommended to be charged with perjury)
2. Laureano Suan
3. Subair Diron
4. Reynaldo Tamayo
5. Siniloan Macarambon
6. Ser John Pastrana
7. Edgar Pampanga
8. Ella Zaldivar
9. Joel Jacob
10. Peter Armand Henares
11. Ansara Busran
12. David Padlan
13. Hadji Ibrahim Marohom
14. Faisal Padete
15. Tomas Rodriguez

Individuals Wilma Mamburan, Nelson Ti, Evelyn Paloso were also charged with violations of the Anti-graft and Corruption Act; Revised Penal Code Article 72 Falsification by private individual and use of falsified documents, Revised Penal Code Article 212 Corruption of public officials.

The Blue Ribbon committee also urged the prosecutorial body to look into the possibility of filing a plunder case against all persons involved.

The government should also institute an inter-governmental IT-based secure platform for the verification of RROW claims between DPWH, LRA, DENR, the Assessors’ Office all over the country and other government agencies involved in the processing of RROW claims, the committee said.

A review and overhaul the way the Torrens System is maintained and protected in the country was also recommended by the committee.

The use of attorneys-in-fact in the processing and receiving RROW claims should also be prohibited, the committee said. /muf