BACOLOD City – The Office of the Ombudsman dismissed two criminal charges filed against former congressman Monico Puentevella in relation to the Bacolod South East Asian games Organizing Committee’s P50.5 million fund allotted for the 23rd South East Asian (SEA) games hosting in 2005.
The Ombudsman Central office had reversed and set aside the 2016 order of former Ombudsman Conchita Morales after the respondents filed their motion for reconsideration.
The first case with OMB-V-C-140092 was filed by the Field Investigation Officer Ombudsman Visayas on 2014 against Puentevella and two private individuals, Edwin Javellana and Eric Loretizo.
The other case was filed by Samuel Montoyo Sr., executive assistant of Mayor Evelio Loenardia in 2015 against Puentevella for malversation of public funds, anti-graft and corrupt practices act, failure of accountable officer to render accounts, and illegal use of public funds and property.
Cited in a joint order approved by Ombudsman Samuel Martires, “there was clear and unjustified delay of the Field Investigation Office (FIO) fact-finding investigation.”
Martires said in determination of whether Puentevella’s right has been violated, “the Ombudsman considered the length of delay, the reasons for the delay, the assertion of failure to assert such right by the accused, and the prejudice caused by the delay, as attendant factors to its evaluation.”
He added the cases were first endorsed to the anti-graft body in 2009 but the FIO only terminated its fact-finding investigation in 2014 when it filed its complaint before the Ombudsman in the Visayas.
Puentevella said the dismissal of the case is a welcome vindication and only shows the charges filed against him were politically motivated and meant to mislead the public from the resounding success of country’s SEA games hosting./PN
