Ombudsman replaces team handling tax credit scam

MANILA, Philippines – Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas Gutierrez has formally ordered the relief of Special Prosecutor Dennis Villa-Ignacio and his team of six lawyers from handling the multimillion-peso tax credit certificate (TCC) scam cases before the Sandiganbayan.

In a memorandum dated Oct. 24, Gutierrez said her decision to replace Villa-Ignacio and his team was based on the recommendation of Overall Deputy Ombudsman Orlando Casimiro that the panel had failed to comply with her earlier order to submit a monthly report on the cases to her office.

The relief of Villa-Ignacio and his team came three months after Gutierrez herself appointed the special prosecutor to handle the TCC cases.

In the same order of Ombudsman Gutierrez, the prosecution panel was also accused of concealing crucial evidence in the cases and Villa-Ignacio of instructing prosecutors to “dribble” the case or to deliberately delay proceedings.

Casimiro said the decision to remove Villa-Ignacio and his team was made “to avoid any misconception of foul play.”

The cases involve alleged fraudulent issuance and illegal transfer of TCCs amounting to at least P2.3 billion.

Gutierrez herself issued the appointment of Villa-Ignacio and his team to the TCC cases pending before the Sandiganbayan’s fourth division on July 10, 2008.

Members of the prosecution panel were Assistant Special Prosecutors Rohemia J. Jamsani-Rodriguez, Ma. Hazelina A. Tujan-Militante, Jennifer A. Agustin-Se, Agnes B. Autencio-Daquis, Mariter Delfin-Santos and Roland B. Galvan.

They were replaced by a four-man panel composed of Director Ireneo Paldeng as lead counsel and Assistant Prosecutors Jacinto de la Cruz Jr., Andrew Felix de Castro and Leoveminda Villanueva.

Bureau Director John Turalba and Assistant Special Prosecutor Rabendranath Uy, who accused Villa-Ignacio of suppressing evidence and of ordering them to “dribble the cases,” were also with the group who called for his resignation in a press conference last July 26.

The evidence allegedly “lost” by Villa-Ignacio were the joint affidavits of spouses Felix and Rosita Chingkoe, star witnesses of the prosecution in the TCC scam cases.

But according to lawyer Jose Isagani M. Gonzales, counsel for the Chingkoe couple, copies of their affidavits were in the possession of the prosecution panel since 2001.

He said these were attached to other pending complaints against finance officials and executives of transport companies, textile firms and oil giants.