Cebu port official cleared of graft

CEBU CITY — The Ombudsman-Visayas, citing insufficiency of evidence, has dismissed a graft complaint against Cebu Port Authority (CPA) Commissioner Tomas Riveral.

The complaint against Riveral, the Ombudsman-Visayas ruled, contained "bare assertions" and that the alleged anomalous transaction the CPA executive entered into did not cause "anybody or the government pecuniary damage."

Former CPA Commissioner Cerecio Mapula, in his complaint, alleged that in 1996, Riveral, then the legal counsel of the Port Integrated Cooperative Service Inc. (PICSI), entered into a contract with the Sta. Fe Arrastre and Stevedoring Workers Multi-Purpose Cooperative Inc. (SFASWMCI), a cargo handling entity based at Port Sta. Fe in Bantayan Island.

Mapula alleged that the Philippine Ports Authority earlier had entered into a contract with PICSI. But Riveral contracted the SFASWMCI and that he even notarized the service contract between the two parties.

Mapula said the CPA was not informed about the contract between PICSI and SFASWMCI.

Mapula accused Riveral of conflict of interest, saying that being a CPA commissioner, he should not have any financial and material interest in PICSI or in any cargo-handling operator in the Port of Cebu.

However, Riveral, in his counter-affidavit, branded Ma—pula’s complaint as an act of "vengeance" since he is closely identified with the Associated Labor Union-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP).

Riveral said Mapula’s complaint was a clear case of forum-shopping and that he was no longer PICSI’s counsel when he took his oath as CPA commissioner. — Freeman News Service