Former Zamboanga del Norte governor Roberto Y. Uy and 10 other officials have been named in graft and administrative charges filed before the Office of the Ombudsman for alleged unlawful donations of properties, equipment, and supplies of the province worth P925 million to several other local government units and national agencies from May to June 2022.
Also charged with violations of Sections 3(e) and (g) of Republic Act No. 3019, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, were former vice governor Senen O. Angeles and Sangguniang Panlalawigan members Julius C. Napigquit (now vice governor), Crisologo A. Decierdo, Ronilio D. Lee, Venus A. Uy, Patri B. Chan, Romulo P. Soliva, Peter Y. Co, Miles T. Galope, and Ruth M. Brilliantes.
They were also charged administratively with dishonesty, grave misconduct, gross inefficiency and incompetence in performance of official functions, and conduct grossly prejudicial to the best interest of the service.
As of posting, none of the respondents in the complaints could be contacted for comment.
Complainants Assistant Provincial Administrator Aurelio J. Monteclaro, Engineer Manuel Jr. A. Reinante, Engineer Arman C. Alpeche, Dr. Eduardo M. Luayon, Alex V. Barrera, and Leoncio Orilloza Jr. said that the former provincial officials "severely crippled" the province by "donating away a massive and substantial portion of its properties within a span of just a few weeks."
They alleged that the donations, amounting to at least P925 million, were made "only shortly after it was apparent that Evelyn T. Uy, Roberto Uy's wife, lost as a gubernatorial candidate" in the 2022 elections.
"What's more is that these properties were only donated to specific LGUs (local government units) which are known to be under the leadership of Roberto Uy's political allies," they also alleged in their joint complaint affidavit received by the Deputy Ombudsman for Mindanao last June 18.
In fact, they claimed that "a vast majority of these properties were donated to the City Government of Dipolog City whose mayor is none other than Roberto Uy's own son, Darel Dexter Uy."
The complainants also alleged that the donations were made right before the change of administration in June 2022 in violation of Section 381 of the Local Government Code on Transfer without cost and several provisions of Commission on Audit (COA) Circular 92-386 or the Rules and Regulations on Supply and Property Management.
They claimed that the Sangguniang Panlalawigan enabled the donations by "hastily" passing resolutions to enable the donations in favor of other LGUs and agencies. Unfortunately, some of these donated properties, equipment, and supplies were obtained through loans and were not yet fully paid by the province, they said.
They told the OMB that the donations "severely hampered" the province's delivery of services. Citing an example, they alleged that 103 patients have been on the waitlist for a dialysis treatment at Zamboanga Del Norte Medical Center after its dialysis machine was donated to Corazon Aquino Hospital in Dipolog City.
However, they claimed that Dipolog City was not able to use the machine since it lacks accreditation. Lamentably, they said that 16 persons on waitlist have already passed away.
"These illegal donations caused undue injury to the provincial government of Zamboanga del Norte as the province was effectively deprived of the use of the donated hospital equipment and the opportunity to recoup the amount it spent on the acquisition and purchase of the same, thereby causing actual and substantial damage to the provincial government," the complaints also told the OMB.
They cited a COA observation memorandum to the effect that the audit agency "was never apprised on the transfer of any real property in favor of any government agency to any request submitted to our end, thus no approval was given."
The COA, they said, had recommended the conduct of "an inventory of all properties subject to donation and determine whether all properties were really transferred to the donees" and "institute legal actions to reover the donated properties."