Author Topic: Ombudsman Dismisses Case vs Governor Erico Aumentado  (Read 721 times)

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Ombudsman Dismisses Case vs Governor Erico Aumentado
« on: October 10, 2016, 04:55:23 PM »
Ombudsman junks case vs governor Aumentado, admin man
Bohol Chronicle: June 4, 2006

Finding no substantial evidence to hold them answerable, Tanodbayan Ma. Merceditas Gutierrez recently dismissed the case of misconduct against Gov. Erico Aumentado and Felix Mejorada, an administrative officer of the Office of the Governor.

Gutierrez approved the 21-page decision penned by Allan Francisco Garciano, graft investigation and prosecution officer 2, reviewed by Director Edgardo Canton and recommended for approval by Deputy Ombudsman Primo Miro all of the Office of the Ombudsman (Visayas).

A certain Eugenio Jamero of Barangay San Juan in Sierra Bullones town filed the complaint. Jamero claims to be "an entrepreneur, a taxpayer and a concerned citizen whose love of country has become of prime importance to him most especially in living his simple but dignified life."

Jamero had alleged that on Dec. 22, 2002, Aumentado and his wife hosted a Christmas Party for provincial officials and guests at the Meridian Hotel in Tagbilaran City. He submitted as evidence a copy of the statement of account with Dec. 23, 2002 as billing date for P28,000 for 140 persons at P200 per cover, supported by an order slip dated Dec. 22, 2002.

He said government funds were used in paying for the event as shown by a job request dated Dec. 26, 2002 signed by Mejorada.

Jamero pointed out that strangely, the job request was dated four days after the alleged party took place and yet the words "to be done by any catering services in the City of Tagbilaran" ironically appear therein.

He also said "what made it more interesting" is the fact that while Mejorada was the requesting officer, he also approved the job request. Jamero also submitted a copy of the allotment and obligation slip (Alobs) for P28,000.

The complainant avers that "clearly, the hosting of a Christmas Party using government funds falls squarely on what is considered as ‘unnecessary expenses’" as defined in Commission on Audit (COA) Policy Training and Technical Assistance Facility (PTTAF) Manual of Procurements.

He claims that the party falls under "extravagant expenses" as defined by COA Circular No. 77-55.

In his counter-affidavit, Aumentado pointed out that the Capitol Christmas Program and Party was held on Dec. 20, 2002 at the Bohol Cultural Center – for which the provincial government did not spend a single centavo.

He said the expenses were shouldered by contributions of the chiefs and assistant chiefs of offices and regular employees, donations from the three congressmen of Bohol, the governor, vice governor and Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) members as well as pledges of the Bohol Provincial Employees League (Bopel) and the Bohol Association of Women in Government Service (Bawigs) – both being organizations of provincial employees.

Contrary to what was published in the June 26, 2003 issue of the Atong Balita Sano," the Dec. 22 event was not a Christmas party but a consultative conference and program.

He said his wife Peregrina was present during the conference being the president of the Bohol Officials Ladies Foundation, Inc. (Bolfi) whose members are wives of elective provincial and municipal officials in the province. Bolfi is in charge of the Bohol Island Garden Park – a clean and green project.

When he obtained a copy of the voucher and supporting documents, Aumentado called the attention of Mejorada on the "Christmas Party" label.

Mejorada explained that it was Evelyn Butalid, Meridian’s reservation manager who prepared the statement of account. She presumed that the event was a Christmas party it being a gathering held within the Christmas season. She prepared the statement for billing purposes only, but her mistake was apparently carried over to the other documents supporting the voucher.

Aumentado pointed out that he had no conformity on the statement Butalid prepared. He did not sign any of those documents and therefore had no participation therein, making the complaint "pure harassment," and filed with malice as part of the demolition job of his political detractors.

For his part, Mejorada said the "Christmas party" label was merely carried on to the voucher and supporting documents based on the statement of account prepared by Butalid.

In his discussion, Garciano said his office was convinced that the Meridian activity was not a Christmas party, but a consultative conference and program that had specific official agenda like the assessment of performances of the offices for that year and discussion and formulation of plans, programs, thrusts and strategies of the province for the coming year, among others.

As such, the same could not be considered a "unnecessary"; it was official and not a mere social affair as correctly argued by the respondents, but misconstrued as a Christmas party, he wrote.

He termed the error as "a procedural lapse." Basing on Butalid’s affidavit, he said it could now be inferred that there were mistakes in the entries "caused by miscommunication and oversight."

Garciano’s dismissal of the case however came with the advise for Mejorada and the other responsible officials and employees of the provincial government to be more discreet and circumspect in their actions to avoid any suspicion from the public.

"They are also warned that a repetition of the same will be severely dealt with by this office. They should remember that as public officials and employees, they must at all times conduct themselves with proper decorum and beyond reproach," Garciano wrote.

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