DBP officials file plunder charges vs. president, execs over bonuses

(UPDATED 5:54 p.m.) Plunder charges were filed against the president and other executives of the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) over alleged excessive bonuses amounting to P312.077 million.

 

In a complaint filed before the Office of the Ombudsman on Wednesday, DBP Vice President for Program Evaluation Mario P. Pagaragan Jr. and Association of the DBP Career Officials (ADCO) president Francis Romulo Badilla Jr.  accused DBP President Gil Buenaventura and eight bank directors, including the chairman of the board, of committing plunder.

 

Also named in the complaint were officials of the Governance Commission for GOCCs (GCG).

 

Top officials of the DBP and GCG "illegally conspired" to release the 2014 performance-based bonus (PBB) of the DBP executives, according to the complaint. The amount was allegedly over 10 times higher than what is mandated by the rules.

 

The complainants pointed out that under GCG Memorandum Circular No. 2014-05, officials and employees of a profitable government-owned and -controlled corporation (GOCC) are allowed to receive bonuses of up to 2.5 times over the amount of their basic salaries.

 

The GCG officials gave the DBP officials PBBs of up to 12 times over their basic salaries, the complainants alleged.

'Grave abuse'

 

Citing records that they have obtained, the complainants alleged that Buenaventura received a PBB of P2,798,400.

 

According to the complaint, the GCG officials violated Section 10 of Republic Act No. 10149 or the GCG Law which states that the commission must recommend to the President the amount of incentives for certain positions in consideration of the good performance of the GOCC.

 

"Said GCG Officials acted with grave abuse of authority and acting in excess of their authority in illegally and maliciously arrogating unto themselves the Presidential power and prerogative to grant additional incentives," the complaint read.

 

Aside from Buenaventura, the eight other executives named in the complaint were Chairman of the DBP Board of Directors Jose Nuñez Jr. and directors Reynaldo Geronimo, Daniel Laogan, Lydia Echauz, Alberto Lim, Raul Serrano, Vaughn Montes and Cecilio Lorenzo.

 

Also named as defendants in the complaint were DBP officials Fritzie Tangkia-Fabricante, Donna Shotwell, Ma. Teresa Jesudason, Ma. Teresa Atienza, Benel Lagua, Anthony Robles, Perla Melanie Caraan, Rafael Danilo Reynante, Cris Cabalatungan, Susan Prado, Alexander Patricio, Dennis Decena, Marietta Fondevilla, Isidro Sobrecarey and other members of the DBP Management Committee.

 

The GCG officials included in the complaint were Cesar Villanueva, Ma. Angela Ignacio, Rainier Butalid and Paolo Salvosa.