Fuentes: No whitewash in House 'fund scam' probe

Deputy Speaker for Mindanao Daisy Avance-Fuentes vowed yesterday that there will be no whitewash in the investigation into alleged fund irregularities involving finance officials of the House of Representatives.

This developed as another official was relieved of his post yesterday as part of the House leadership's "top-to-bottom overhaul" of the chamber's accounts offices. Earlier, two House finance officials were told to go on indefinite leave following reports of alleged corruption.

Fuentes heads a committee that Speaker Manuel Villar formed to investigate the alleged anomalies.

"We'll get to the bottom of things. I will not preside over a whitewash, or its opposite, a witch-hunt. We've invited members of the opposition to join the panel," she said.

She said she will tap the services of "experts from outside" for the investigation.

Ricardo Roque was relieved of his post as House deputy secretary-general for finance and was replaced by Cecille David, the deputy secretary-general for administration. Roque, in turn, will take over David's post.

Villar said other personnel of the chamber's accounting, finance and budget divisions will be reshuffled soon.

Earlier, Ruben Reyes, executive director of the committee on accounts, and Reynaldo Gregorio, officer-in-charge of the accounting division, had been ordered to go an indefinite leave following allegations of graft and corruption hurled against them.

Rep. Eleandro Madrona (LAMP, Romblon), chairman of the accounts committee, is currently handling Reyes' position, while Celia Fonteleria, legislative chief assistant, temporarily replaced Gregorio.

Lawyer Leonardo Palicte III, chief counsel of the House Legal Bureau, told The STAR that if the charges are proven true, "the least they will get is dismissal from service."

Palicte noted though that the allegations against Reyes and Gregorio have not yet been referred to his office.

"We've not received formal complaints. We're not informed about that," he said.

Earlier, the 1,300-strong Congressional Staff Association (CONSA), in a resolution, had asked the Office of the Ombudsman and the Civil Service Commission to investigate the fund mess to ensure objectivity and prevent any whitewash.

Sources said certain officials of the accounting and finance offices allegedly earned huge kickbacks from supply contracts awarded to favored suppliers.

Sources said these officials allegedly received commissions ranging from five to 10 percent of the supply contracts.

Last year, the chamber's total budget for supplies and materials amounted to more than P74 million.

Earlier, a manifesto issued by "concerned House employees" had accused Reyes and Gregorio of allegedly cornering huge amounts from various "negotiated" projects.

Among these projects were the construction of a new building at the back of the Batasan complex, the installation of an air-conditioning system and state-of-the-art sound system worth P80 million, the construction of rest rooms for the lawmakers worth P75,000 each, the roofing of the Session Hall and South and North buildings, the marbling of the Session Hall floor, the putting up of a souvenir shop and the computerization program.