Ex-Albay lawmaker faces raps over P27 M ‘pork barrel’ misuse

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales has recommended the filing of charges against a former Albay lawmaker for allegedly misusing P27 million in his 2007 priority development assistance fund (PDAF) or pork barrel.

In a resolution released by Morales, former Albay 3rd district representative Reno Lim and eight other co-accused will face four counts of violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act) and four counts of malversation.

Other named respondents in the charges were Technology Resource Center (TRC) executives Antonio Ortiz, Dennis Cunanan, Maria Rosalinda Lacsamana, Marivic Jover and Consuelo Lilian Espiritu. Also included were Kaagapay Magpakailanman Foundation Inc. (KMFI) representatives Carlos Soriano and France Mercado and Carmelita Barredo of C.C. Barredo Publishing House.

Citing records, the Ombudsman found that Lim, in 2007, requested the release of P30 million from his PDAF for the procurement of 8,000 sets of livelihood instructional materials and technology kits for the supposed implementation of livelihood projects in his district.

However, it was found that Lim personally handpicked KMFI as the implementor agency without public bidding.

Other red flags stated in the Commission on Audit (COA) report cited by the Ombudsman regarding Lim’s misuse of his pork barrel funds include: the lack of track record of KMFI; that KMFI has no legitimate business address; that the said non-government organization (NGO) did not undertake any accreditation process; and that the payment of P27 million for the project was already released before the memorandum of agreement was signed.

Also, COA said that the project was considered a “fictitious or ghost project” as no deliveries of livelihood kits were made. This was supported by the findings of the field validation conducted by the Ombudsman who found that no one in his legislative district received a livelihood technology kit.

The Ombudsman did not believe Lim’s defense that he only followed PDAF pre-implementation procedures.

“Lim had treated the same [fund] as it were his own funds, dictating how it should be utilized and released. He not only determined the project, the implementing agency and the NGO, but also determined how much of his PDAF should go to the projects,” Morales said in finding probable cause in recommending the filing of charges against Lim and his cohorts.

“The respondents’ combined acts indubitably point to a concerted action to divert public funds drawn from Lim’s PDAF,” she added.