By CZARINA NICOLE ONG KI
Criminal complaints for graft and malversation of public funds were filed against Caloocan City 1st District Rep. Oscar "Oca" M. Malapitan, five former officials of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and a private individual before the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) for alleged misuse of the legislator's priority development assistance fund (PDAF) from 2007 to 2009.
Aside from Malapitan, also charged were former DSWD secretary Esperanza I. Cabral, undersecretary for General Administration and Support Services Group (GASSG) Mateo G. Montaño, assistant secretary for Institutional Development Group (IDP) Vilma B. Cabrera, director III of the Program Management Bureau Pacita D. Sarino, and chief accountant Leonila M. Hayahay, and private individual Cenon M. Mayor.
The complaints against them were filed by former Caloocan City mayor Reynaldo O. Malonzo on Tuesday, July 16. Malonzo told the OMB that the respondents used Malapitan's PDAF "indiscriminately in violation of the pertinent laws, rules, and regulations."
None of those named respondents in the charges could be contacted for comment as of posting.
Malonzo in his complaint-affidavit alleged: "Funds through the use of PDAF are missing and have unjustly enriched these people at the expense of the poor, vulnerable, and disadvantaged people of Caloocan City. We cannot sleep soundly at night while the thieves and criminals roam the City of Caloocan and are actually in the guise of public service with their hands dipping into the government coffers."
He accused Malapitan of committing the "delictual act" of endorsing and personally identifying Kalookan Assistance Council, Inc. (KACI), through its president Mayor, to be his conduit in implementing projects using his PDAF.
But, he alleged that KACI was not eligible for any PDAF transfer from the DSWD because it has unliquidated cash advances for the years 2006 and 2007.
Cabral was accused of signing the memorandum of agreement (MOA) with KACI even though the non-government organization (NGO) was not qualified for the fund transfer, while Montaño allegedly failed to require the needed endorsement from the Standards Bureau before processing the fund transfer to KACI.
Montano allegedly approved the release of P8 million and P3 million despite KACI's reported failure to liquidate its previous cash advances in the total amount of P23,100,000 incurred from 2006 to 2007.
Sarino, on the other hand, was allegedly responsible for certifying the completeness of the project.
However, Malonzo claimed that Sarino accepted the accomplishment and liquidations of KACI to be in order despite not being so.
Hayahay, for his part, allegedly certified all the disbursement vouchers involved in the PDAF transactions, which enabled the fund release to KACI.
Malonzo asked the OMB to hold all the respondents liable for violations of Section 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and Article 217 of the Revised Penal Code on malversation of public funds.
In the case of Mayor, Malonzo asked the OMB to charge the former with malversation of public funds in relation to Article 172(2) of the RPC on falsification of of public documents.