Ombudsman urged to resolve graft case vs ex-Palawan vice governor

MANILA, Philippines – The Office of the Ombudsman is being asked to resolve the graft case and other criminal complaints filed against former Palawan Vice Gov. David Ponce De Leon and five others which were filed in 2002 and 2003.

The main complaint accuses them of allegedly falsifying official receipts for reimbursement of meals and snacks seven years ago.

In a manifestation and motion for early resolution, complainant Datu Abdelwin Sangkula, of Puerto Princesa, said he is joining other complainants Emmanuel Feliciano and Job Legarda in urging the anti-graft agency to act on the case.

Feliciano and Legarda, both residents of Brooke’s Point in Palawan, on April 20, 2010, sought the graft office’s action on the respondent’s cases.

De Leon’s fellow respondents were identified as Adonis Grande, executive assistant V; Teofilo Palanca Jr., treasurer; Orlando Colobong, accountant; Luis Marcaida II, budget officer; and Anita Salas, of the Accounting Office, all of the province of Palawan.

The case against them stemmed from a special audit report from the Commission on Audit which supposedly uncovered alleged anomalous transactions involving reimbursement for meals and snacks by the Office of the Vice Governor using falsified receipts.

The audit allegedly showed that the provincial government of Palawan was defrauded for at least P314,656.89 as receipts were altered, had insertions, and changed.

In one instance, the alteration was allegedly done by changing the word “two” thousand into “twelve” thousand and inserting the number “1” before the amount 2 to make it “12”, instead of only “2.”

“The observations and findings of the audit team are supported by substantial evidence, on which complainants agree. Even without the words and phrases in the audit report, on the basis of the official receipts alone, the alterations can easily be discernible,” the complainants said, citing the COA audit report.

“Respondents conspired and confederated with each other to the falsification or alteration of the subject two official receipts in order to obtain a larger amount of reimbursement, particularly by respondent Vice Governor De Leon, and made them appear to be necessary and lawful. The fraudulent reimbursements were allowed and obligated by [the rest of] the respondents,” they said.