Graft raps filed vs ex-director of PNP academy

Chief Supt. Dionisio B. Coloma, former director of the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA), was charged with three counts of graft before the Sandiganbayan late Friday based on a recommendation of indictment signed by Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas N. Gutierrez. Coloma was accused of causing undue injury to the Philippine Public Safety College (PPSC) for mishandling P5.73 million of its capital outlay. The fund is part of the PPSC 1998 budget that was earmarked for the purchase of a 1.2-hectare land and the construction of an administration building and a 50-person-capacity barracks and classroom in Bongao, Tawi-tawi. Inspection of the project site, however, revealed that only the administration building and a classroom were erected while the land they were built on was found to be encumbered by another claim, which had a 1969 mortgage record at the Development Bank of the Philippines. An estimate by Engr. Jerome Vacnot of the PNP-Logistics Installation Service determined that the cost of labor and materials that went into the project was only P3.18 million. Graft investigators later found out that the cost of prime real estate property in Bongo was only P9,730 per hectare, based on the Schedule of Market Values of Real Property in Tawi-tawi. Likewise, it was learned that private contractors, AC Lim Construction and New Alems Enterprises, were awarded supply deals for labor and construction materials without any public bidding. AC Lim Construction was owned by couple Rolando and Albia Lim while New Alems was owned by Albert L. Tan. The Ombudsman recommended that supplemental graft complaints be filed against the three for allegedly conniving with Coloma. Investigators also found out that Coloma and Lim opened a joint account on June 6, 2001 at the Land Bank of the Philippines - Tawi-tawi branch identified as CA No. 1242-105822. Coloma allegedly transferred P1.6 million to said account. Another joint account in the names of Coloma and Tan was also discovered at LBP-Bongao, Tawi-tawi branch. In his counter-affidavit, Coloma said the mess was caused Chief Supt. Ramsey L. Ocampo’s ill-will against him. Ocampo took over as PPSC president in August 2001. Coloma said he was relived as special assistant to the PPSC President on Real Property Acquisition because he was close to Ocampo’s predecessor, Ernesto Gimenez. This, he explained, prevented him from further monitoring the construction and completion of the project. The Ombudsman however junked his defense noting that there was no evidence of malice on the part of Ocampo which makes Coloma’s claim ‘self-serving’. In addition, the anti-graft body dismissed as doubtful the respondent’s contention that his joint accounts with Lim and Tan did not benefit him in anyway. “Such defense does not bode well for the respondent. It he did not benefit from said arrangement, why would he need to open a joint account with the contractors, knowing that it can be construed against him as an indicia of fraud – a red flag indicating corruption," the Ombudsman said. - GMANews.TV