By The Bohol Chronicle
The Cebu-based Junior Graftwatch Unit of the Office of the Ombudsman recently filed graft charges against the Boholano Sangguniang Kabataan National Federation president, citing issues on transparency, overpricing registration fees, acquisition of expensive vehicle, and lavish lifestyle.
The Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas received the complaint on April 23.
The Junior Graftwatch Unit (JGU) addressed its complaint against SK national president Jane Censoria Cajes to Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Pelagio Apostol, thru Director for Evaluation and Investigation Carla Narvios-Tanco.
CAJES
On the question on lack of transparency, the JGU seeks an update on how SK spent the P10-million that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo released as financial assistance for the 2008 SK National Congress.
Two years had passed, but Cajes allegedly failed to submit a single document to the SK National Executive Board to account for the money.
Moreover, JGU also alleged that Cajes "neglected her primary duty to render financial report" to SK National Executive Board immediately after the holding the national congress.
JGU disclosed that SK charged P8,500 as registration fee in the first national congress held on October 28-30, 2008 at Waterfront Hotel in Lahug, Cebu City.
The SK charged P9,500 registration fee for the second congress held on October 27-30, 2009 at the Subic Convention Center .
According to officer of JGU, they received complaints from their colleagues that the registration fees had been the highest imposed in the history of SK national congresses.
This contradicts the Department of Budget and Management policy that sets P1,200 as the maximum registration fees for conferences and congresses, according to JGU.
"It only means that there's an overpricing in the registration fees of more than 100 percent and for almost two years already Ms. Jane Censoria Cajes didn't even bother to provide her Board with corresponding financial statements," the JGU stated in the complaint.
The JGU also questioned Cajes' capacity to purchase two SUV vehicles which include a Nissan Patrol and an Isuzu Altierra (both registered under her name) in just a matter of two years as a public official , "despite her meagar income as an SK president".
Investigation on the accident that his father, Rep. Roberto Cajes, met on December 30 last year while on board the Nissan Patrol in travelling along barangay Oy in the town of Loboc showed that the vehicle is named under the SK president.
JGU also noted that she is using an Isuzu Altierra in Manila.
JGU also questioned how she afforded the expensive services of Vicki Belo's Clinic "every quarter of the year" and the "high-end items of luxury".
"As a role model of the youth, she should live within her means. A number of SK chairs have been questioning her lavish lifestyle as a public servant and a lifestyle check should be done on her," the JGU pointed out.
The Office of the Ombudsman organized the JGU to serve as its "mechanism for young citizens' effective participation" in campaigning for the prevention of corruption.
JGU is established in schools and communities in Cebu province, acting as junior watchdog of the government which shares the same vision "to have an integrity, efficiency and high ethical standards of public service in the country" which can be summed up as a vision to create a clean, transparent and honest government.
SK PREXY HARASSED
While the political battle ground between Aumentado and Cajes continued to heat-up in the second district, an innocent victim is caught in the middle.
Sangguniang Kabataan Bohol and National Federation president Jane Censoria D. Cajes has been the recipient of several harassments that started when second district power contenders Bohol governor Erico Aumentado and Trinidad mayor Judith Cajes commence in the contest. After Jane Cajes answered the allegations raised by acting commissioner for the Visayas Benjie Oliva last week, a modified form of Oliva's issues that have become more obviously politically orchestrated harassment is being thrown to the young Cajes.
The complaint has cited almost the same issues raised by NYC acting-commissioner for Visayas Benjie Oliva. The only difference is the amount cited P10Million which may have been P20million if only Jane Cajes did not clarify last week on the issue raised by acting commissioner Oliva.
The document that is allegedly filed in the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas has been anonymously peddled among media men in Tagbilaran City.
THE COMPLAINT
The odd and suspicious looking two-page document that bears the receipt seal of the Visayas Ombudsman dated April 23, 2010, contained complaint against the young Cajes accordingly filed by "Junior Graftwatch Unit-Cebu."
The document bear no signatures and without Notarial seal which is unbecoming of a legal and verified complaint.
SKNF consultant Manuel Ferdinand de Erio said that the office is yet to confirm with the Office of the Ombudsman regarding the veracity of the document being circulated by an anonymous individual since the alleged complaint letter is technically faulty.
The letter did not have any attachments or annexes to establish its proof on the allegations cited therein. "The letter may be made from fertile imagination and infamous intention of its author," de Erio said.
"The construction of the sentences, the style of the presentation and the grammatical errors in the letter appeared to be familiar. However, further investigation will be made to unmask the author," de Erio added.
In the research made by the office of SK president on the identity of the complainant, it was discovered "Junior Graftwatch Unit-Cebu" has been non-existent in Cebu.
Hence, this finding only strengthened the assumption that this complaint letter is purely a tool of harassment against the SK president.
ON TRANSPARENCY
The young Cajes clarified that a Financial Statement Report was rendered and presented during the Sangguniang Kabataan National Executive Board (SK-NEB) meeting last March 26-27, 2010 at Bayview Hotel, Manila.
In the spirit of transparency, the young Cajes also admitted to be a fourth-owner of a Nissan Patrol which she paid monthly thru her salary-not a brand new unit as mistakenly reported few months ago.
"I do not own an Isuzu Alterra," Cajes said answering to the accusation embodied in the complaint.
She also told the press that there is no truth to the accusation that she spent lavishly at the Vicky Belo medical clinic, "I go there for facial, to treat pimple breakouts due to oily skin and stress from work and school. It costs P1,000+, just like other medical clinics and spas in the country."
"First and foremost, I am earning. I receive a justifiable monthly salary, which I spend for my studies and my own personal expenses." Cajes added.
"If its transparency they want, then they should know that I have received expensive gifts from my suitors and from my ex-boyfriend who is a businessman and a son of an Ilocos Sur politician. And I do not think there is anything wrong in that aspect because I am single and my suitors never had any business transaction and interest directly or indirectly with SK." She added as a matter of fact.
The registration fee
The alleged complaint letter accused Cajes for over-pricing on registration fees in the 2008 and 2009 national congresses of the SK.
"There was never an overpricing of registration fees, the fact is, we have been coordinating and have been duly endorsed by the DILG. People should know that our registration fee is the cheapest and justifiable compared to other leagues, considering the content and venue of our activities" said the young Cajes.
The documents from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) showed that the two national gatherings are duly endorsed by the DILG pursuant to the 2001 Katipunan ng Kabataan and Sangguniang Kabataan Constitution and By-laws under Article XII Meetings and Quorum, Section 7 (paragraph 1) "An SK National Congress shall be called every year for the purpose of a comprehensive Consultation of the SK issues and concerns. For this purpose the Congress shall be composed of all elected SK Officials from the Barangay to the National level."
The 2008 congress held in Waterfront Cebu was validated thru DILG Memorandum Circular NO.2008-136 issued September 5, 2008, while the 2009 congress in Subic Bay was likewise validated and endorsed thru DILG Memorandum Circular NO.2009-107 issued last August 6, 2009.
Both DILG memorandum Circulars were issued by the agency secretary Rolando Puno and both were address to provincial governors, city/municipal mayors, punong barangays, SK federation presidents at all levels, SK chairpersons and members, DILG regional directors and field officers.
"Jane Cajes being a public servant and a public figure hides no skeleton in her closet.
Her life is practically an open book, for which reason, she can easily be a target of malicious issues formulated by people who are desperately seeking for attention," de Erio said.
Amidst all these issues, Jane Cajes maintained that the public must be vigilant as to who are telling the truth and who are lying. Perhaps, when the conflagration brought about by election dies down, the public will know which issue are indeed true and valid.
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Topic: Bohol SK President Facing Graft and Corruption Charges (Read 2882 times)