Ex-Sulu governor faces graft raps

MANILA, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman yesterday ordered the filing of graft charges before the Sandiganbayan against former Sulu governor Benjamin Loong for his alleged involvement in anomalous livelihood and infrastructure projects in 2007.

In a 25-page resolution, acting Ombudsman Orlando Casimiro ordered the filing of graft complaints against Loong along with one Kanoh Hajib of the Bawisan Multi-Purpose Cooperative and private firms BJ Construction and Material Supply Inc. and BJ Coco Oil Mill Inc.

Records show that in 2006, the Department of Agriculture’s Regional Field Unit IX and the Sulu provincial government agreed to undertake the construction of an ice plant with cold storage and a cassava production and post-harvest facility costing P8.2 million and P4.2 million, respectively.

Under a memorandum of agreement, the ice plant and the cassava production facility were to be managed by the Bawisan Multi-Purpose Cooperative.

However, it turned out that the cooperative was already inexistent and it was BJ Coco Oil Mill, of which Loong was president and board director, which managed the two facilities.

The ice plant and cassava production facility were also constructed in the compound of BJ Coco Oil Mill, registered under Loong’s name.

In finding probable cause to indict the respondents before the Sandiganbayan, the Office of the Ombudsman said it is “clearly made known that Benjamin Loong, through evident bad faith, caused undue injury” to the Sulu provincial government when he conferred to BJ Coco Oil Mill, instead of the cooperative, the management of the two facilities.

Records also show Sulu provincial treasurer Jesus Cabelin, in an affidavit, said Loong “had ordered and instructed him on different occasions to cause the disbursement of cash advance of funds intended for the ice plant with cold storage with five tons capacity and the cassava production facility and of funds for the construction in Maimbung, Sulu of several cold storage facilities.”

Based on the investigation, there were no documents to prove that the cash advances totaling more than P41.3 million were actually deposited in the account of Maimbung town.

The Office of the Ombudsman said the disbursement of public funds violates Section 174(g), Volume 1 of the Government Accounting and Auditing Manual, which states that “no cash advance shall be granted on account of infrastructure or other undertakings on a project basis.”

Several road-paving projects in Sulu were funded by the Department of Public Works and Highways’ Regional Office IX allegedly without the conduct of public biddings.

Records show that the projects were awarded to BJ Construction and Material Supply Inc., allegedly “owned and controlled” by Loong.