Cebu congressman, 2 ex-lawmakers deny PDAF misuse

Former Cebu representatives Eduardo Gullas (1st district) and Ramon Durano VI (5th district), and incumbent representative Gabriel Luis Quisumbing (6th district)   PHOTOS FROM www.congress.gov.ph

CEBU CITY, Philippines–Two former Cebu congressmen and an incumbent representative who were linked to the alleged misuse of their Priority Development Assistance Fund have denied allegations of wrongdoing.

Former representatives Eduardo Gullas (1st district) and Ramon Durano VI (5th district) and Rep. Gabriel Luis Quisumbing of (6th district) insisted that the projects concerned were properly implemented.

A report of the Commission on Audit stated that Gullas and Durano each gave P9 million to the Philippine Forest Corp. (PFC). Gullas also gave P225,000 to the Coprahan at Gulayan Foundation Inc. and P1.425 million to the Kabuhayan at Kalusugang Alay sa Masa Foundation Inc.

On the other hand, Quisumbing gave P900,000 to the Kabuhayan at Kalusugang Alay sa Masa Foundation Inc. and P750,000 to the Kasangga sa Magandang Bukas Foundation Inc.

Gullas said the organizations that received funding were not bogus and the projects were implemented by the central offices of the departments concerned.

He also clarified that the P9 million did not come from his PDAF but was given to him by the Department of Agrarian Reform upon the request of the Minglanilla municipal government.

According to Gullas, DAR released the funds directly to the Infinite Community Integrated Development Support Foundation, which had distributed the financial aid to beneficiaries in the villages of Vito, Candulawan and Guindaruhan in Minglanilla town, which was witnessed by representatives from DAR and the Department of Agriculture.

For his part, Durano confirmed that funding was released through the PFC to implement the 5th district’s flood control, biodiesel production and disaster mitigation programs.

“We organized seminars and trainings participated by our farmers associations, point-persons and officials of LGUs in the district, distribution of training kits, site inspection, distribution of seedlings and planting of the seedlings. To ensure that our program was well carried out, we conducted meetings and asked for the progress from LGUs on its implementation,” he said in a statement.

Durano said that they also have validators composed of different agencies like the COA and from PFC to make sure that the project was realized.

Quisumbing said the funding were for livelihood projects implemented by the Department of Agriculture in the 6th district, composed of Mandaue City, Consolacion and Cordova towns.

“Our livelihood program has been in existence for several years. As a matter of fact, we have several successful livelihood programs that have helped the unemployment and underemployment,” he said.

Quisumbing said he has full documentation and a full list of beneficiaries, which he would show to interested parties who would like to check with beneficiaries to determine if the livelihood programs were really implemented.

The livelihood programs in Cordova and Consolacion involved the use of indigenous materials while in Mandaue City, it involved programs to clean the drainage system, he explained.

He said they have verified that the projects were fully implemented.

Quisumbing added that he did not have any hand in choosing the non government organization, saying he did not know the NGO or the people running it.