Ex-Marawi mayor, 6 others charged for fertilizer fund scam

MANILA, Philippines - A former mayor of Marawi City and six others were charged by the Office of the Ombudsman yesterday with graft, stemming from anomalous spending of public funds intended for the Farm Inputs and Farm Implements Program of the Department of Agriculture (DA).

In a 17-page resolution, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales ordered the filing of graft charges before the Sandiganbayan against former mayor Omar Ali, Jaime Paule, Marilyn Araos, Marites Aytona, Leonicia Llarena, Minda Bombase and Joselito Flordeliza, president of the National Organization for Agricultural Enhancement and Productivity Inc. (NOAEPI).

The ruling said a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) entered into between Ali and Flordeliza and DA regional director Rufo Chan Jr. on May 6, 2004 was anomalous.

Under the agreement, NOAEPI received the amount of P1,999,500 from DA Region X in two tranches to cover payment for 1,333 bottles of liquid organic fertilizer priced at P1,500 per bottle bought from Feshan Philippines, Inc.

Findings made by the Commission on Audit (COA) revealed NOAEPI was awarded the contract even if the NGO’s total equity is only P468,868.40 and that no list of farmer beneficiaries or distribution list was submitted to support the liquidation.

Audit investigation also determined the fertilizers were overpriced as its actual price is only P150 per bottle and not P1,500.