Ombudsman clears top Duty Free executive

The top executive of Duty Free Philippines Corp. (DFPC) has welcomed the Office of the Ombudsman’s decision that cleared him of plunder, graft and administrative cases filed by employees of the state-owned firm. “I would like to express my gratitude to those instrumental in vindicating me. I now look forward to working in unity with my DFPC family to earnestly fulfill our mandate of supporting the tourism industry,” DFPC chief operating officer Vicente Pelagio Angala said in a statement. Angala said the Ombudsman had been “fair and objective” in treating his case. Angala, ex-officials Lorenzo Formoso, Roberto Policarpio and Manolito Canlas, were sued by 10 DFPC employees for allegedly having financial and pecuniary interest with DFP Services Inc. (DFPSI), a former manpower service contractor of the government corporation. The respondents were accused of plunder by enriching themselves through supposed overpayments made to DFPSI. —Jerome Aning