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Ombudsman: COA, LWUA execs liable for multi-million bonuses

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales has ordered the dismissal from the service of six auditors from the Commission on Audit (COA) for Grave Misconduct for receiving additional compensation and bonuses from the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) from 2006 to 2010. 

 Ordered dismissed are state auditors Juanito Daguno, Jr., Proceso Saavedra, Teresita Tam, Corazon Cabotage, Evangeline Sison and Vilma Tiongson, including data machine operators Violeta Gamil and Roberto Villa. They were also perpetually disqualified for reemployment in the government service with cancellation of eligibility and forfeiture of retirement benefits.

 COA executives Edna Anical, Thelma Baldovino, Evelyn De Leon, Daguno, Jr., Nestorio Ferrera, Gamil, Zoharayda Obog, Ligaya Principio, Jesusa Punsalan, Saavedra, Paulino Sarmiento, Tam, Villa, Cabotage, Sison and Tiongson are also facing criminal indictment for violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act) in connection with the multi-million peso grant of additional compensation and bonuses.

             Ombudsman Morales also found LWUA executives Lorenzo Jamora, Wilfredo Feleo, Orlando Hondrade and Daniel Landingin guilty of Simple Misconduct. They were ordered suspended without pay for six months.  In case of separation from the service, the penalty is convertible to a fine equivalent to six months’ salary.

 Investigation disclosed that Jamora, et al. approved and signed Letters of Instructions directing the issuance of checks covering the irregular bonuses for LWUA and COA personnel from 2006 to 2010 totaling P25 million.

 Based on the records of the COA Human Resource Office, respondent Anical received P789T; Baldovino P886T; De Leon P517T; Daguno, Jr. P615T; Ferrera P961T; Gamil P834T; Obog P658T; Principio P642T; Punsalan P602T; Saavedra P692T; Sarmiento P703T; Tam P592T; Villa P650T; Cabotage P542T; Sison P183T; and Tiongson P164T.

 The Joint Resolution narrated that “the amount given were huge and arbitrary,” such that a COA machine operator assigned at LWUA received as much as P140 thousand and P43 thousand in November 2006 alone. They each received bonuses twice a month in November 2006, September and December  2007, September and December  2008, and March  2010.

 It added that “their patent disregard of the existing policy of their own institution against the practice of receiving additional compensation cannot be deemed a mere lapse of judgment. Respondents, being state auditors and employees of COA itself, are presumed to know the prohibition.”

 According to Ombudsman Morales, “COA auditors and employees were obviously motivated by malicious intent to favor self-interest at the expense of the public” and that “their acts are contrary to accepted rules of right and duty, honesty and good morals.”

 As for Jamora, et al., “their stamp of approval and authorization for fund disbursement as payment for the questioned benefits is a clear transgression” of the Salary Standardization Law and other COA regulations.

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