NIA exec files graft raps vs Bohol governor, 4 others

Bohol Gov. Erico Aumentado, chairman of the regional development council, and four other provincial officials are facing graft charges with the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas for recommending the relief of the province’s irrigation project manager.

Eddie Digal, Phase 2 project manager of the Bohol irrigation project, filed a case for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act 3019) against Aumentado, second district Rep. Roberto Cajes, Mayors Manuel Alesna and Silvino Evangelista of Ubay and San Miguel towns, respectively, and Trinidad Vice Mayor Francisco Gonzales for declaring him as a persona non grata and for asking for his relief allegedly without due process.

National Irrigation Administration (NIA) chief Jesus Paras relieved Digal last Sept. 3 upon the recommendation of the respondents. He was replaced by Modesto Membreve whom Aumentado reportedly recommended.

Aumentado wrote a letter to Paras last July and asked for Digal’s relief for being a persona non grata.

Aumentado alleged that Digal did not honor a prior agreement between the NIA and the provincial government to give preferential employment to the personnel of the project’s first phase.

Digal, according to Aumentado, instead hired personnel from outside the province to the prejudice of qualified Boholeño applicants.

Aumentado also cited in his letter to Paras that Digal failed to account for the P20 million allocated by former House Speaker Manuel Villar and another P10 million from him for the acquisition of land affected by the project.

Digal, however, denied Aumentado’s allegations, saying that most of the workers he hired for the Phase 2 project were actually the governor’s recommendees.

He also questioned the governor’s declaration of him as a persona non grata which, he said, the provincial board did not sanction.

Digal said his relief was a violation of RA 3019 because his appointment was supposed to be co-terminus with the project, which will be completed in 2005.

Digal alleged that Aumentado was antagonistic toward him because he (Digal) did not tolerate shenanigans in the implementation of the P2.3-billion project.

Aumentado, however, said the case filed against him is baseless.

He said Digal has a pending petition for injunction in the Regional Trial Court of Tagbilaran City. — Freeman News Service