Ex-Zamboanga Del Norte Gov., others face charges over alleged P900 million illegal donations

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July 14, 2024

3–5 minutes

Former Zamboanga Del Norte Governor Roberto Uy and several elected officials are facing graft and corruption charges filed with the Office of the Ombudsman in June for the alleged illegal donation of government properties, equipment, and supplies back in June 2022.

The complainants, Alex Barrera, Aurelio Monteclaro, Leoncio Orilloza, Eng. Manuel Reinante, Eng. Arman Alpeche, and Dr. Eduardo Luayon, are all employees of the Provincial Government divisions of Zamboanga del Norte and private residents.

In addition to Uy, the same complaint has been filed against Zamboanga del Norte Vice Governor Julius Napigquit, Dipolog City Vice Mayor Senen Angeles, and eight others who were members of the 2019-2022 18th Sangguniang Panlalawigan of the Province of Zamboanga del Norte.

According to the 41-page complaint filed with the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for Mindanao in Sta. Ana, Davao City on June 18, 2024, the former governor and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan confirmed the donations of properties, equipment, and supplies belonging to the Provincial Government in favor of other LGUs and agencies just before Governor-elect Rosalina Jalosjos could assume office in June 2022.

“We’ve seen a lot of patients suffering because of the absence of medical equipment like dialysis machines, which have been taken away from our provincial hospital. Aping-api ang mga tao [The people are severely disadvantaged],” Monteclaro, the provincial assistant administrator of Zamboanga del Norte, said.

Monteclaro added that there were 103 patients waiting at the Zamboanga Del Norte Medical Center for dialysis treatment, but the dialysis machine was donated to Corazon Aquino Hospital in Dipolog City, which is unable to use the machine as it lacks accreditation.

The complaint also stated that “the delivery services of the current administration have been severely hampered,” and multiple projects have been delayed due to the lack of service vehicles and heavy equipment.

“Another problem is our preparedness or capabilities to respond to possible approaching calamities like La Niña and El Niño,” he added. “The people of Zamboanga del Norte are very upset because almost all of these donations went to one city, Dipolog, where the mayor is his son.”

Barrera criticized the 2019-2022 Sangguniang Panlalawigan board members for holding several sessions to hastily pass resolutions to confirm the donations of properties, supplies, and equipment belonging to the Provincial Government in favor of other LGUs and agencies.

“In a matter of four weeks, a total of 68 resolutions had been approved by the Sangguniang from May 2022 to June 2022, which was just a few days before their term of office would expire after the May 9 election,” Barrera said.

He also claimed that their first resolution was May 27 and the most glaring was that 34 resolutions were passed in just one day on June 7 . Another shocking revelation was that one resolution cover the donation of 32 brand new heavy equipment to Dipolog City.
“Were these midnight resolutions? There’s no way in history that 68 resolutions have been approved in such a short time. There’s no session that happened, everything was rigged and railroaded.”

The total acquisition cost of the donated properties amounts to at least Php 925 million. Some of these properties were also obtained through loans from financial institutions and are yet to be fully paid by the provincial government.

Orilloza stressed that the Commission on Audit (COA) released an Audit Observation Memorandum dated January 19, 2023, citing that “COA was never apprised of the transfer of any real property in favor of any government agency nor was any request submitted to our end, thus no approval was given.”

He also mentioned that the COA recommended the Sangguniang Panlalawigan revoke SP Resolutions that failed to comply with substantive and procedural requirements for transfer without cost in favor of several government agencies as donees.

“As government elected officers, they must know how to respect one of the highly respectable government agencies like COA, but in this case, they did not,” Orilloza said.

The complainants also mentioned that the majority of donations were given to the City Government of Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte, headed by its mayor Darel Dexter Uy, son of the former Governor.

#Edjun Mariposque

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