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By Prince Golez, Manila Reporter
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MANILA – The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the dismissal from service of Sen. Joel Villanueva.
Villanueva was found guilty of grave misconduct, serious dishonesty and conduct prejudicial to the interest of the service over his alleged involvement in the misuse of his P10-million Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) in 2008. At that time, Villanueva was party-list representative of anti-corruption group CIBAC.
The senator, with nine others, was also accused of two counts of violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, one count of each of malversation of public funds and falsification of public documents.
According to the investigating body, the amount, released to the National Agri-business Corp., was supposed to be utilized for the purchase of agri-based livelihood projects like pechay, radish, sitaw, okra, hybrid yellow corn seedlings, liquid fertilizers, and threshers in various congressional districts in Region XI.
“In-depth field validation and investigation, however, disclosed the following: (1) localities were not suitable for farming as the vast majority of land is occupied by banana and coconut plantations; (2) not a single name in the purported list of beneficiaries was a registered voter or resident of the providence; (3) local officials attested and certified that no agri-based livelihood projects were implemented by Aaron Foundation Philippines Inc.
Villanueva has denied involvement in the alleged misappropriation of funds, saying that it was an “old case.”
In a statement on Monday, Villanueva stressed he did not receive the amount and insisted that his signatures were forged on the related documents. “One of the documents even used a Buhay partylist letterhead, when I was representing CIBAC partylist. I already filed a motion for reconsideration before the Ombudsman.”
The senator leaves it up to Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III to act on the Ombudsman order, he said.
“In any case, my faith is strong in the judicial system and in time, justice will be served,” Villanueva ended.
Pimentel said the Ombudsman should act Villanueva’s motion for reconsideration first.
“The Ombudsman must act on that first before I act on the (their) letter me. Although I would follow the better procedure which is to refer the Ombudsman letter to the Rules committee,” the senate leader said./PN
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