Lawmaker files perjury raps vs ex-Surigao execs

BUTUAN CITY, Philippines – Claiming all accusations hurled against him were lies, Surigao del Norte first district Rep. Francisco Matugas filed perjury charges against a former provincial board member, former councilor, former Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) manager and Makabayan party-list director in the province.

In Matugas’ 11-page affidavit-complaint obtained by The STAR, Fernando Almeda Jr., Lolito Golo, Victor Bernal and Edgardo Canda were named as respondents in the case.

Almeda, Bernal, Golo and Canda earlier filed plunder charges against Matugas before the Office of the Ombudsman last Jan. 30 for allegedly allotting millions of pesos from his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) and using them for intelligence and anti-insurgency purposes.

The complainants said Matugas violated a Commission on Audit ruling dated Sept. 13, 2010, which prohibits the use of pork barrel funds for intelligence and anti-insurgency.

Matugas said the complainants were “making false accusations and untruthful statements and testifying on complaints without basis of truth that are deliberate and malicious imputations.”

Matugas denied allotting, receiving and distributing millions of pesos to mayors or local government units in Surigao del Norte.

“I categorically deny that said PDAF funds as raised in the plunder charges were received, much more distributed by me,”  Matugas said in his affidavit.

“If these people has only made careful scrutiny of the readily available documents they would have found out that P14 million of the P63.5-million PDAF allocations belonged to (Surigao del Norte second district) congressman (Guillermo)Romarate Jr. with other allocations entirely for different purposes,” Matugas said.

Matugas also disputed the allegations of the complainants that no less than COA justified the filing of administrative and criminal charges against him.

Matugas is demanding P10 million in moral damages from his accusers.

In a text message Friday morning, Almeda said they filed charges against Matugas in line with President Aquino’s call for “matuwid na daan” or straight path.

“We believe we have a strong case. COA has the final legal opinion declaring that the disbursement of PDAF for intelligence purposes is illegal,” he said.