2 San Roque employees charged for ghost event

CEBU, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas indicted two employees of Barangay San Roque for alleged misuse of funds for the senior citizens.

Deputy Ombudsman Pelagio Apostol approved the findings and recommendation of graft investigator Maria Regina Hagad-Fernandez to include as respondents of the case Ligaya Britania and Lucia Sumampong.

Britania is the Gender and Development (GAD) focal person of Barangay San Roque while Sumampong was a former utility worker who was reportedly tasked by Britania to prepare the names of the participants of an event for senior citizens.

The Ombudsman had already filed graft charges before the court against Barangay Captain Rogelio Ruizo, councilors Florentino Mauping Jr., Julieta Balcon, Leonarda Pepito, Julius Mendoza, Mario Pamolarco, Alex Sillos and April Jane Salas.

They were accused of misusing the funds for the senior citizens and listed the name of former Barangay Captain Telesforo Rabaya, who already died several years ago, as one of the participants in an activity for the elderly and persons with disability on July 17 to 23, 2010.

In her counter affidavit, Britania said that they conducted the activity and Sumampong was the one who was in-charge of the attendance sheet of the participants.

Britania explained that in good faith, she used the attendance sheet that Sumampong provided as part of the supporting documents in liquidating the expenses.

But Sumampong said there was never an activity for the senior citizens and persons with disabilities on the said dates.

She denied preparing the attendance sheet that included the name of Rabaya.  She revealed that aside from Rabaya, there were two other names of dead persons in the attendance sheet.

Earlier, Ruizo and the other barangay officials just claimed that they only authorized the activity and approved budget for it.

They denied any hand in the preparation of the supporting documents that were submitted for the liquidation of the expenses.

“The finding cements the reason why the original respondents, Ruizo and others, were charged with violation of the anti-graft and corrupt practices act. These same findings also give reasons why respondents Britania and Sumampong should be included as respondents in the criminal case,” Fernandez’s ruling stated. — (FREEMAN)