Estrada kin denies role in UP fund mess

Academician Raul de Guzman, brother-in-law of deposed President Joseph Estrada, has angrily denied having anything to do with a latest P15-million fund mess at the state-run University of the Philippines (UP).

As this developed, a complaint for malversation of public funds was filed against former UP Student Regent Hannah Eunice Serana with the Office of the Ombudsman yesterday for allegedly embezzling the fund intended for the renovation of a student activities building at the Diliman campus.

"He was very angry and I could tell that by his voice," said a top university official, who spoke with De Guzman over the weekend. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said Serana, along with her brother, John Ian, visited De Guzman at his home Saturday to ask for his forgiveness.

"You fooled me. You fooled the university and the university will not forgive you for this," the official quoted De Guzman as telling his two visitors.

The official said De Guzman, who served as development administration consultant to Estrada, did not know that the P15-million fund the Office of the President released for the renovation of the Vinzon’s Hall Annex was instead channeled to a private foundation that Serana and her brother had set up.

The Presidential Management Office released the money to the Office of the Student Regent Foundation last Oct. 24 through the Land Bank of the Philippines Malacañang branch. It was learned that the money came from the President’s social fund.

Marvie M. V. F. Leonen, university general counsel, told reporters that the Board of Regents, the highest policy-making body of the university, had no knowledge of the release of the money nor of the creation of the private foundation.

The Serana siblings later changed the foundation’s name into the Student Welfare and Program Foundation Inc. Other than the Serana siblings, three other persons identified as Ann Jareign Martel, Azenith Viojan and Joseph Dicdiquian, were named as foundation trustees.

"I want to see the paper trail here," said the lawyer, who also teaches at the UP College of Law. "The release of the money already raises a lot of suspicion."

Leonen, along with Martin Gregorio, university vice president for administration, has been tasked by UP President Francisco Nemenzo to investigate the fund mess.

The STAR earlier learned that it was De Guzman, a professor at the National Center for Publication Administration and Governance, who had interceded on Serana’s behalf for an audience with then President Estrada so she could present him the proposed project.

It could be remembered that De Guzman had also headed the Erap Muslim Youth Foundation which, according to Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson, was used by Estrada to launder some P200 million in jueteng money.

Yesterday, Marichu Lambino of the Public Interest Law Center filed a complaint for malversation of public funds against Serana on behalf of Kristine Clare Bugayong, incoming Student Regent and Christine Jill de Guzman, secretary general of Kasama sa UP, an assembly of college student councils from constituent campuses of the university. The assembly elects the Student Regent into office.

Bugayong earlier said Serana was negotiating with the construction firm A.M. Oreta associates to implement the renovation project. Prospero, husband of Senator Tessie Aquino-Oreta, owns the firm.