The National Bureau of Investigation has subpoenaed a former aide of south district Rep. Antonio Cuenco to shed light on the alleged ghost medicine purchases at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center using the lawmaker’s pork barrel.
Aside from James Yrastorza, the NBI also asked the Commission on Audit to submit all the documents relative to their audit findings on the alleged anomalies surrounding the “Tony ‘N Tommy Free Medicines Program” in 2004.
NBI regional director Medardo de Lemos thru supervising agent Rennan Oliva asked Yrastorza to appear before the NBI office on Tuesday afternoon. COA cluster director Marcelita Sarmiento was likewise asked to bring all the documents relative to the controversy.
Cuenco earlier asked the NBI to investigate the alleged loss of almost P3 million in government money from his Priority Development Assistance Fund through ghost purchases.
The COA audit team found out that the money from Cuenco’s PDAF was lost through the scheme.
The team uncovered documents with forged signatures to make it appear as though purchases were made and that the items bought were given to beneficiaries at the VSMMC, the depository of the program’s PDAF allocation.
Initial information shows that the drugs used in the program were obtained from Dell Pharmacy, reportedly owned by a certain Wendell Villacin.
Villacin is identified in an August 2005 affidavit signed by Yrastorza as the one who allegedly forged medical prescriptions for non-existent persons. Through referral slips signed by Cuenco’s son James and sales invoices from his own pharmacy, Villacin allegedly made claims against the PDAF budget at the VSMMC cashier. — Fred P. Languido/MEEV