MTRCB’s OIC faces graft charges

Former broadcaster and Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) officer-in-charge June Keithley is facing graft charges for allegedly receiving P200,000 in commissions.

The graft raps against Keithley were filed yesterday by MTRCB chairman Marilen Dinglasan before the Office of the Ombudsman.

Keithley was a key figure during the 1986 EDSA Revolution, her "guerrilla" news reports updating the public on the events unfolding in front of Camps Aguinaldo and Crame over the fledgling Radyo Veritas.

According to radio reports, Dinglasan said Keithley accepted P200,000 in "referral commissions" from JOS Managing Builders Inc. The commissions were reportedly given to Keithley’s son Diego Castro, who allegedly accepted them on behalf of his mother.

According to radio reports, the commissions were given to Keithley for facilitating the transfer of the MTRCB office from Atlanta Centre building in San Juan town to the Aurora Milestone building along Aurora Blvd. in Quezon City, which is owned by JOS Builders.

Dinglasan, who also faces graft charges, said the board’s officials were unaware of the agreement between Keithley and JOS Builders for the MTRCB’s change of address. The selection of the new MTRCB office address, Dinglasan said, never went through the requisite bidding process.

Employees and board members of the MTRCB filed graft charges against Dinglasan last month for her alleged use of the board’s resources for her personal needs. The beleaguered MTRCB chairwoman was supposed to have spent over P170,000 in representation expenses in the space of two months.

Listed under expenses taken from the MTRCB public information budget were Dinglasan’s purchases of a bottle of mineral water worth under P20 and medicines.

The MTRCB moved offices shortly after the murder of veteran actress Nida Blanca, one of its board members. Blanca’s stab wound-riddled corpse was found inside the slain actress’ car in the Atlanta Centre’s 6th floor car park.