Airport exec axed for demanding kickbacks

MANILA, Philippines—The Office of the Ombudsman on Thursday dismissed from service an airport official for violating the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

Leilani Pagdanganan, Senior Accountant B of the Manila International Airport (MIAA), has been dismissed from service  for violating Section 7 (d) of the RA 6713 (Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees).

The law prohibits public officials and employees from soliciting or accepting, directly or indirectly, “any gift, gratuity, favor, entertainment, loan or anything of monetary value from any person in the course of their officials duties or in connection with any operation being regulated by, or any transaction which may be affected by the functions of their office.”

The case stemmed when Ma. Girlie Jose of Equine Power Trading Company, in sworn statement, alleged that Pagdanganan and MIAA Division Manager A Felisa Dizon acted as middlemen of a financier and conspired in demanding commission for helping secure a loan for Equine which had project transaction with MIAA.

She said Pagdanganan offered to find someone “who could finance and extend a loan on the condition that she (Pagdanganan) gets 5% commission while Dizon who is in charge of releasing checks gets P20,000.” She further claimed that on their first transaction, Pagdanganan handed to her P2,830,000 representing Jose’s loan with deduction of  P150,000 representing Pagdanganan’s commission and P20,000 for Dizon.

In the decision, the Ombudsman said “the existence of withdrawal slips bearing the name and signature of respondent Pagdanganan to have withdrawn hundreds of thousands, even a million from the account of Equine is a testament that indeed Pagdanganan has pecuniary transaction with Ms. Jose.”

However, for lack of substantial evidence, the complaint against respondent Dizon was dismissed.