PAGC denies junking graft charges against Braganza

Presidential Anti-Graft Commission chairman Dario Rama denied yesterday that the administrative charges filed against Agrarian Reform Secretary Hernani Braganza were dismissed.

In an interview with The Star, Rama clarified that what the PAGC had dismissed was the petition for the preventive suspension of Braganza filed by the Department of Agrarian Reform Employee’s Association (DAREA) and not the entire case against the DAR chief.

DAREA filed graft charges against Braganza over the alleged overspending of some P50 million during the celebration of the 14th anniversary of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) last June.

Aside from fiscal mismanagement, the DAREA also accused Braganza of several other administrative charges that include incompetence and mishandling of personnel.

But a press release claimed that President Arroyo had already junked the case.

"That’s wrong. In fact, I wanted to look for the person who wrote that. The news item was cut. We denied the preventive suspension filed against Secretary Braganza but not the petition to dismiss him," Rama said.

"The main case, which is the dismissal, is still being deliberated upon. It is under resolution, which we still have to submit to the Palace," he added.

"It is unfortunate that there are people who like to twist facts."— Katherine Adraneda, Nikko Dizon