7 Bacolod officials charged with plunder over P72.8M fuel mess

MANILA, Philippines — Seven Bacolod City officials and a gas station owner face plunder charges for the questionable purchase of fuel and lubricants worth some P72.8 million from 2006 to 2007. Online news site Visayan Daily Star (www.visayandailystar.com) reported that the criminal and administrative charges were lodged before the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas on Monday. Retired policeman Armando Colado and seafarer Christopher Villeta filed a criminal complaint for plunder and graft against the officials. Named in the complaint were Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia, City Accountant Eduardo Ravena, City Legal Officer Allan Zamora, City Administrator Roger Balo, Secretary to the Mayor Goldwyn Nifras, Bacolod City police director Senior Supt. Ronilo Quebrar, City Treasurer Annabelle Badajos and Francis Torres, manager of FAT Petron Service Station. Colado and Villeta also filed administrative complaints against the officials for dishonesty, grave misconduct, gross abuse of authority and acts prejudicial to public service against the respondents. They claimed the respondents manipulated millions of pesos in public funds allotted for the purchase of gasoline, oil and lubricants through a series of cash conversion, misuse and malversation of public funds in the guise of advance payment of fuel bought monthly in bulk, although the city has no depot. Also, they said the city government made advance payments for fuel to FAT Petron Service Station without any delivery at the time of payment. Withdrawals of fuel were in staggered daily basis in accordance with the progress of work during the implementation of projects/programs. Zamora said they have not officially received a copy of the complaint and will file their answer once they officially receive a copy. He claimed politics was behind the move, saying a copy of the certification of non-forum shopping filed by Colado and Villeta, which was attached to their complaint furnished the media, was notarized by Ramon Clapiz. He recalled that Clapiz was one of the lawyers who went to City Hall to inform the mayor that the people from Felisa, who barricaded the garbage trucks, want to call off the meeting with him. Nifras said that the gasoline matter is only an observation of the Commission on Audit and there have been no charges have filed against them for it. He said the system had been practiced in previous administrations, including former Mayors Romeo Guanzon, Alfredo Montelibano, Oscar Verdeflor, and Luzviminda Valdez. Besides, he said the alternative to come up with a depot for the city will entail lot of expenses. However, Colado said there is no politician behind them and that he personally filed the case before the Ombudsman using his own money. Villeta said he has no permanent work for a year and is now preparing his papers to work abroad, but claimed he filed the case on his own, using his own money. - GMANews.TV