Rep. Catamco, ex-Cebu mayor indicted over fertilizer fund scam

Cotabato 2nd District Representative Nancy Catamco and former Poro, Cebu mayor Edgar Rama have been indicted at the Sandiganbayan for their alleged involvement in the fertilizer fund scam in 2004.

Prosecutors from the Office of the Ombudsman filed one count of violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and two counts of malversation against Catamco, Rama, and the lawmaker's former husband Pompey Reyes.

Former vice mayor Ronald Pajaron Carcellar and former Sangguniang Bayan members Ruben Estrera Jr., Gorgina Gonzales, Sergio Zurita, Nilo Gorgonio, Gregorio Dorog, and William Surbano were charged with one count of graft.

The case stemmed from the unwarranted benefits Rama and the former members of the municipal council allegedly gave to Perzebros Company, a company owned by Catamco and Reyes before their annullment, for a P5-million procurement contract for 3,333 bottles of Vitacrop liquid organic fertilizers priced at P1,500 per bottle.

The contract is the implementation of the Department of Agriculture's Farm Inputs and Farm Implements Program (FIFIP) for the town of Poro.

The prosecution, however, said the Commission on Audit found that the fertlizers were overpriced by at least P1,092 per bottle or a total amount of P4.58 million.

It further said Perzebros received two tranches of payments—P3.2 million in May and P1.675 million in December—despite irregularities and violations of the Government Procurement Reform Act.

These irregularities include the lack of a public bidding, the accused's failure to comply with their duties under the memorandum of agreement such as periodic monitoring of FIFIP, and the awarding of a contract without the recommendation of the Bids and Awards Committee.

A bail bond of P110,000 each has been recommended for the provisional liberties of Catamco, Rama, and Reyes.

Meanwhile, the bail bond of Carcellar and the former councilors was set at P30,000 each.

Catamco earlier denied her involvement in the multi-million scam. 

Her legal counsel, Geraldine Quimosing, said the lawmaker will present all the evidence needed for her defense at the Sandiganbayan but declined to give further comments.

"As far as Rep. Catamco is concerned, the cases, which arose before she entered government service, have just been filed with the Sandiganbayan, a forum where she will ventilate all her arguments and defenses. Given that the cases are now sub judice, we regret that we cannot elaborate further," Quimosing said in a statement. —KG, GMA News