Ombudsman affirms charges vs 2 PCGG execs

MANILA, Philippines - Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales has affirmed her decision to charge with graft before the Sandiganbayan former Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) commissioners Narciso Nario and Tereso Javier for alleged involvement in an anomaly six years ago.

Denying their motions for reconsideration, Morales informed the Sandiganbayan First Division of her decision to proceed with the filing of graft cases against Nario and Javier.

The case arose from alleged anomalous vehicle rental transactions in 2007 and 2009.

The vehicles were allegedly rented at costs that would have been already enough to purchase them.

Nario and Javier said the PCGG had no other option but to rent service vehicles because appropriation for capital outlay was available in 2007 and 2009.

However, prosecutors and probers said the PCGG ended up paying almost the total value of the vehicles that were rented during the three-year period.

“This is a highly irregular situation of using funds that could have been used to purchase brand new vehicles but which were used to lease them for just three years. Lest respondents forget, what PCGG was exploiting was the people’s money,” the Office of the Ombudsman said.

Nario and Javier moved for the dismissal of the charges on grounds that prosecutors sought some 20 postponements despite a March 14, 2012 Sandiganbayan order directing the Office of the Ombudsman to resolve their motions for reconsideration within 60 days.

The delay and failure on the part of the prosecutors and investigators to follow Sandiganbayan orders caused them undue prejudice, they added.