Ombudsman indicts Tupas Sr., Iloilo execs for graft

MANILA, Philippines — Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales found probable cause to charge former Iloilo Governor Neil Tupas Sr. and three other officials for allegedly overpaying P4 million of unconsumed electricity.

In a statement Monday, the Office of the Ombudsman accused Tupas, Provincial Accountant Lyd Tupas, Assistant Department Head Sandra Bionat and General Services Department Head Ramie Salcedo of violating Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

The law penalizes any public officer for granting any private party "unwarranted benefits, advantage or preference in the discharge of his official administrative of judicial functions through manifest partiality, evident bad faith or gross inexcusable negligence."

The anti-graft body said Tupas, father of current Iloilo Rep. Neil Tupas Jr., and the National Power Corp. entered a contract with Green Core Geothermal Inc. in 2007 for the proposed construction of the Iloilo Multi-Purpose Convention Center.

The supply contract provided for an increase in the contracted energy from 185,000 kWh per month to 400,000 kWh per month. The convention center project, however, did not push through, and Tupas requested for the reduction of the contract to 17,000 kWh per month.

Green Core then applied the adjustment only for the period covering June 26, 2010 to Dec. 25, 2011. 

A total of P5.88 million was paid to Green Core although the actual consumption of the province amounted to only P1.88 million, resulting to an overpayment of almost P4 million covering the billing period of December 2009 to April 2010. 

The Commission on Audit raised the matter on Jan. 11, 2011.

Lyd Tupas, Bionat and Salcedo, meanwhile, were found guilty and suspended from service for one year in an an administrative case of prejudicial conduct and neglect of duty.

"Respondents cannot sweepingly claim that they merely certified the disbursement documents to be valid, proper and legal, because if they really perused those documents they would have found the questionable nature of an electric billing that was unconsumed," Morales said in a joint resolution.