[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’Answer criminal, admin raps, Bing told’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY MAE SINGUAY
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=’custom’ color=’#0a0a0a’]
Friday, January 6, 2017
[/av_textblock]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=’custom’ color=’#0a0a0a’]
BACOLOD City – Mayor Evelio “Bing” Leonardia was asked to answer the criminal and administrative charges lodged against him at the Office of the Ombudsman – Visayas in Cebu City.
Leonardia and seven others were named respondents in a complaint alleging irregularities in the Bacolod City government’s purchase of gasoline, oil and lubricant during the mayor’s previous term.
The Ombudsman found “enough bases to proceed with the preliminary investigation and administrative adjudication proceedings.”
“Respondents are hereby ordered to file their counter-affidavit and other controverting evidence…strictly within 10 days,” Deputy Ombudsman for Visayas Paul Elmer Clemente said in an order dated Nov. 11, 2016.
Armando Colado and Christopher Villeta accused Leonardia and others of malversation of public funds worth P858,872.59. They filed the complaint in 2008 yet.
Aside from the mayor, charged with violating Article 217 of the Revised Penal Code and Section 3(e) of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act were Executive Assistant Eduardo Ravena (then city accountant); City Engineer Belly Aguillon; Senior Superintendent Ronilo Quebrar (then Bacolod City Police Office director); Ricardo Dahildahil (then officer-in-charge of Management and Audit Services Office); Teresita Guadalupe (then officer-in charge of the Office of the Building Official); Francis Albert Torres, proprietor of FAT Petron; and Roberto Lizares, chairman of the board, Amber Corp.
Leonardia, Ravena and Aguillon were also charged with misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.
Associate Graft Investigation Officer Johana Sanchez said the complaint cited Commission on Audit (COA) reports covering the years 2006 and 2007.
Based on the reports, the city government’s fuel purchases were “not supported with basic requirements and documents, such as delivery receipts, trip tickets and monthly fuel consumption reports.”
Payments for the fuel purchases that lacked supporting documents allegedly reached P72,890,101.40, Sanchez said.
In particular, the 2007 COA report stated that “fuel amounting to P45,538,000 were not effectively controlled and properly accounted for, while payments made for fuel amounting to P526,826.65 attached to voucher documents were not related to the specific transaction it was supposed to support.”
According to Sanchez, “there is evidence to declare that private respondents conspired with public officials to commit the crime of malversation.”
“Public officials consented to or, through negligence, permitted the suppliers to receive and appropriate P858,872.59 despite failure to show proof or produce evidence proving actual delivery of the fuel,” said the investigator./PN
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
