Singson rapped for alleged misuse of P1.2-B public funds

The Save Ilocos Sur Alliance (SISA) filed its fourth complaint against former Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson yesterday, this time for plunder for his alleged misuse of P1.2 billion in public funds.

SISA president Nestor Segis—mundo alleged that Singson, former provincial budget officer Erlita Arce, administrator Ma. Victoria Cu and treasurer Antonio Gundran conspired to enrich themselves during their entire nine-year term.

"Hopefully, the legal system would ensure that they would be made to pay for their acts of bankrupting the province of Ilocos Sur," the group stated in its complaint, alleging that funds were disbursed "without or with insufficient supporting documentation."

Segismundo and SISA officers David Roca and Liborio Arca — the same people who filed the first three graft complaints — alleged that Singson failed to liquidate to the Commission on Audit (COA) aggregates of P596.8 million, P153 million, P149.2 million and P360.6 million, or a total of P1.2 billion.

In their eight-page complaint, the SISA officers claimed that Fasduc Builders, a "small-time contractor" partly owned by Cu, was even awarded a P360.6-million contract for the purchase of flue-curing barns and equipment, even if COA found alleged irregularities.

Local auditors, they claimed, found out that the contract was awarded "despite insufficiency of funds, absence of sites for the project" and unfinished work.

The three earlier graft complaints against Singson involved the "ghost" purchase of a P9.5-million backhoe loader in February 2000, the alleged diversion of P24.7 million in tobacco funds, and the alleged overpricing of a property which the provincial government purchased in February 1998.