Court finds ex-UP dean guilty over catering mess

The Metropolitan Trial Court (MTC) of Quezon City has found the former dean of the University of the Philippines College of Human Kinetics (CHK) guilty of violating the code of conduct for public officials for using his catering business in the college's summer outing.

According to the case filed by the Office of the Ombudsman, then Dean Hercules Callanta allegedly approved the payment of P6,300 to The Lord's Inheritance Catering on May 26, 2007 for the CHK's summer recreation program.

State prosecutors showed disbursement vouchers signed by Callanta for the services of the catering firm to prove their accusations.

Branch 36 of the MTC said Callanta was guilty of the offense having been the approving authority for the payment of The Lord's Inheritance Catering.

"The accused, as Dean and approving authority for payment, knowingly signed the disbursement voucher for the catering services of The Lord’s Inheritance Catering Service during the May 26, 2007 Summer Recreation Program in the amount of P6,300.00 organized and sponsored by the CHK,” the court's decision said.

“Without such signature, the disbursement voucher could not be processed for payment by the UP Diliman Accounting Office, and the May 26, 2007 transaction would not have been paid,” it added.

In his defense, Callanta said he acted in good faith and has "exerted efforts to ensure that all required documents and certifications were in order before signing" the voucher.

The MTC, however, said the former dean "cannot escape the fact" of his liability being a dean of a public university, his and his wife's ownership of the catering business, and that the transaction required the approval of his office.

The court ordered Callanta to pay a fine of P5,000 for the offense. — MDM, GMA News