MANILA – The Office of the Ombudsman charged former congressman Niel Tupas Jr. of Ilolio’s 5th District with multiple counts of graft and malversation for the alleged misuse of P4.85-million Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).
Tupas was accused of two counts of violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and one count each of malversation of public funds and falsification of public documents before the Sandiganbayan.
Also named as respondents were former National Agri-Business Corp. (NABCOR) officials Alan Javellana, Rhodora Mendoza, Romulo Relevo, and Ma. Julie Villaralvo-Johnson; and Kabuhayan at Kalusugang Alay sa Masa Foundation, Inc. (KKAMFI) project coordinator Marilou Antonio.
According to the Ombudsman, Tupas chose KKAMFI as non-government organization-partner for livelihood projects in Iloilo 5th District towns without public bidding.
Sales invoices, official receipts, auditor’s reports, liquidation reports, and the list of beneficiaries were falsified, added the Ombudsman, to make it appear that KKAMFI implemented and finished the project.
NABCOR officials, meanwhile, were included in the charge sheet for allegedly releasing payments to KKAMFI without carefully studying its qualification, while Antonio was accused of concealing the alleged fictitious transaction.
Tupas, in a press statement yesterday afternoon, said he was surprised by the charges. The Ombudsman failed to give him the opportunity to defend himself, he claimed.
“I was never notified by the Ombudsman of this particular case and hence, I was not given the opportunity to present my defense in a preliminary investigation,” said Tupas.
He added: “Had I been given the chance to explain, I could have proven my innocence and good faith against these baseless and malicious allegations.”
Tupas said his signatures in the documents relative to the project in question were forged, adding that it was even him who informed concerned government agencies about the anomalous use of his PDAF.
“I have done my best to safeguard the funds of the government by informing the proper agencies and taking appropriate actions at the first instance when I learned way back in early 2011 that my forged signatures were being used in a questionable scheme by unscrupulous agencies and personalities,” he said./PN
