Drilon sued for plunder, unexplained wealth, etc

ILOILO CITY , Philippines   â€”  Another string of criminal complaints were filed Friday against Senate President Franklin Drilon before the Office of the Ombudsman.

Manuel Mejorada, a journalist, accused Drilon of plunder, unexplained wealth, dishonesty, malversation of public funds and grave misconduct.

Mejorada, who worked as provincial administrator of  Iloilo from 2001 to 2010, became Drilon's technical consultant from Sept. 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011. Drilon himself earlier admitted that Mejorada handled his Twitter account and received a P30,000 monthly consultancy fee from the senator.

In accusing Drilon of plunder, Mejorada alleged that the senator has knowledge in the highly anomalous transaction of the allegedly overpriced purchase of a relocation site in Iloilo City utilizing his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).

Mejorada said the 16.2-hectare agricultural property in Brgy. San Isidro of Jaro district was bought by city officials, led by then City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas, now congressman of the city's lone district, in the amount of P63.18 million using Drilon's PDAF coursed through the National Housing Authority (NHA).

Mejorada however contended that the property's fair market value was pegged at only P17 per square meter, or a total of P2.75 million, while the BIR's zonal value for it was P8.1 million. The transaction took place on January 25, 2006. "So, at the very least, it could be overpriced by around P55.1 million," Mejorada said.

For the unexplained wealth charge, Mejorada alleged that Drilon accumulated real and personal assets that were grossly out of proportion to his income as senator and other legitimate businesses, particularly during the 2004-2007 period.

Based on Drilon's statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN), the senator declared a net worth of P13,386,283 in 2004 and it reached P21,031,473 the following year. In 2010, Drilon declared a net worth of P33,442,730; P44,937,600 in 2011; and P51,754,363 in 2012.

"Based on the foregoing data, it can be established that the wealth of Drilon, while he was senator, posted 'spikes' or sudden surges in the size of his wealth from Dec. 31, 2004 through Dec. 31 , 2005 and a steady climb from June 30, 2010 to Dec. 31, 2012," Mejorada alleged.

Mejorada also contended that the commission of these offenses involves dishonesty, grave misconduct, and malversation of public funds.

Last month, Mejorada also accused Drilon and seven officials of the DPWH for alleged violations of  Republic Act No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, particularly Section 3, paragraphs (a), (e), and (g) in relation to: Republic Act No. 9184, or the Government Procurement Reform Act and its Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations; dishonesty; grave misconduct; falsification of public documents; and malversation of public funds.

Mejorada filed the complaint against the public officials "in connection with the anomalous implementation of the improvement or completion of the E. Treñas Boulevard along the Iloilo River project, which was funded from the PDAF of Drilon in September 2012 in the amount of P13.5 million."

Drilon, for his part, earlier said that the cases against him were malicious. "He (Mejorada) was handling my Twitter account. Then, I discovered there were unauthorized posting using my Twitter hitting Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog," he said.

Mabilog is a relative and political ally of Drilon, who added that Mejorada started hitting Mabilog when the mayor refused to appoint him (Mejorada) as city administrator.

"I also was not able to help him in his desire to be regional director of Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). From that time on, the relationship soured," Drilon added.  (FREEMAN)