NGO in US fund mess: We were not given due process

MANILA, Philippines - A non-government organization accused of failing to account for P210 million in funds that came from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) cried foul over what they called a “lack of due process and the rush to judgment.”

In a statement issued yesterday, officials of the Visayan Forum Foundation Inc. (VFFI) said they were “shocked by the malicious attack to our reputation.”

“The final audit findings were not presented to us and we were not given a chance to clarify and explain our side,” said VFFI, referring to the recommendation of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to file fraud charges against the officials of the organization.

On Thursday, NBI anti-graft chief Rachel Marfil-Angeles said they recommended the filing of fraud charges against VFFI officials after they secured falsified receipts amounting to P41 million from the organization’s office in Quezon City.

The NBI was investigating the allegations that the organization failed to account for P210 million, or 70 percent, of the P300 million provided to them by the USAID.

In a phone interview, VFFI founder and executive director Ma. Cecilia Flores-Oebanda denied that they received P300 million from USAID. “We only received more or less P100 million from USAID,” she said, adding that the audit of these funds is still ongoing.

Oebanda also denied involvement in the supposed falsification of receipts.The NBI said that a former VFFI bookkeeper claimed that Oebanda had asked them to fake the receipts.

“We call on people not to prejudge us but instead look at the contributions we have made in the fight against human trafficking,” VFFI said.