VFFI: USAID accusation "unfair"

CEBU, Philippines - Although it did not generate much impact in Cebu, a local officer of the Visayan Forum Foundation, Inc. said the United States government’s accusation of their alleged failure to account for P210 million US aid is “very unfair.”

“Among nabati na mura ug naa’y gaplano na i-destroy among good name. Gusto tingale sad nila hunungon namo among trabaho alang sa pagtabang sa government in protecting the victim of human trafficking. (We felt that somebody is planning to destroy our good name. Maybe they want to us to stop doing our job in helping the government protect victims of human trafficking),” VFFI coordinator Vicente Obedesco said over radio station dyLA.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is accusing VFFI of failing to account for P210 million in US aid.

Charges of falsification of documents were filed against the respondents from VFFI on Sept. 6 based on the complaint filed by a special agent from the Office of the Inspector General-USAID, testimony of two whistle-blowers and boxes of falsified documents seized in a raid at the VFFI office in Cubao, Quezon City.

Obedesco said VFFI feels betrayed, saying that USAID did not give them due process by directly reporting to the media.

“Naa’y memorandum of agreement between the USAID and Visayan Forum national office na open line mi, na magtinabangay mi. Kung duna sila’y pangutana, iduol diri sa amoa. (USAID and the Visayan Forum national office had a memorandum of agreement that we will keep an open line and help each other. If they have questions, they agreed to approach us),” he said.

He said many of their employees can attest that they have liquidated the funds given to them.

Obedesco said the report appears that it’s only USAID funding them, when in fact they are also being helped by funding agencies from Europe among others.

There are still purchases, including those acquired through the fund given by other agencies that are not yet liquidated.

“Posible gigama-gama ra na sa among bookkeeper, posible daghan pa sila pangutana ana. (It may be fabricated by our bookkeeper and they may have more questions regarding that),” Obedesco said, referring to VFFI’s bookkeeper who resigned a month ago.

Obedesco said they only received about P250 million from USAID, contrary to the agency’s claims that they donated P300 million.

The VFFI coordinator further disclosed that the issue has less impact here in Cebu as the bulk of the funds are given to Zamboanga, where anti-human trafficking operations were mostly held.

“Transparent g’yud mi. Para sa mga ginikanan, gitabangan mo namo pag-rescue sa inyong mga anak ug sa mga hamtong na ma-rescue gikan sa mga bars ug sa mga mapintas nilang amo. Kami magapadayon sa among trabaho maski way funding sa USAID. Adto na lang ta magkita sa husgado. (We are transparent. For the parents, we helped you rescue your children and the adults to be rescued from bars and abusive employers. We will continue with our task even without funding from USAID. See you in court),” Obedesco said. –(FREEMAN)