By the Bohol Chronicle
The Boholana national president of the Sangguniang Kabataan National Federation (SKNF) is facing a graft complaint with the Ombudsman for alleged misuse of federation funds amounting to over P90 million.
Meanwhile, Jane Cesoria Cajes, who is also an ex-officio commissioner of the National Youth commission (NYC) vehemently denied the accusations as she welcomed the complaint which she will face before the Ombudsman. She branded the filing of the complaint as a smear campaign lodged against her.
The seemingly dormant issue on alleged fund misuse of the Sangguniang Kabataan Federation (SKF) was the basis of the nine-point graft complaint filed last Wednesday by Manuel Ferdinand R. De Erio, a former close aide of Cajes and Leo P. Udtohan, also a volunteer of the SKF President. Both are also Lifestyle writers of city-based newspapers.
Feeling used and betrayed by Cajes, the two complainants, De Erio and Udtohan, ventilated their outcry for justice against the alleged misuse of government funds when they personally visited for a live radio interview at Bohol's top-rated "Inyong Alagad" program of DYRD the day after they filed their complaint in Manila.
"Our name and reputation were on the line. We were unwittingly used by Jane Cajes to cover-up the anomalies. Finally, after realizing the state we were in, we decided to pursue the truth thru the Ombudsman", a visibly relieved De Erio said.
The two so-called "whistleblowers" gave the Ombudsman an "inside account" of alleged financial wrongdoings of SKNF President Jane Cajes.
The letter complaint alleged that Cajes entered into "multi-million peso procurement of goods and services without bidding" for the supplies of bags, t-shirts, tarpaulins, accommodations, catering and event management contracts for the 2008, 2009 and 2010 SK National Congress in Cebu City, Subic, Bohol and Boracay.
The letter complaint bared that under Cajes, the SK collected an estimated total registration fees in the amount of P73 million from the 2008, 2009 and 2010 SK National Congress.
On top of these collections, the SK allegedly received P20M financial assistance from former President Arroyo for the 2008 and 2009 SK National Congress, P250T assistance each from PAGCOR and PCSO together with a sponsorship fee of P150T from "The Bar" in the 2009 SK Congress.
These collections totaled P93.65M not including collections from SK annual dues, the complaint alleged.
According to the letter complaint, Cajes failed to render financial statements covering the cited SK National Congresses.
The complainants also revealed that P150,000 worth of tarpaulins were allegedly wasted during the launching of the Sama-sama Para sa Kalikasan project of the SK held in Bohol "when the face of the former President printed on the tarpaulin was inverted". These posters were not allowed to be displayed causing Cajes to purchase another batch of tarpaulins with the corrected layout.
De Erio and Udtohan also bemoaned the alleged "over spending" on the printing of tarpaulins estimated at nearly P1M from 2008 to the present.
According to the complainants, concerned SK members were disturbed by several billboard sized tarpaulins placed in the streets of Olongapo and Subic during the SK National Congress with solo pictures of Jane Cajes together with pictures of performing bands Six Cycle Mind, Imago, CallaLilly among others, prompting comments on the SKP Facebook - "Sana dina maulit yung nasa Subic na parang concert ni Hon. Jane ang congress".
De Erio and Udtohan also denounced Cajes for her failure to present the financial statements on the P10M fund from former president GMA for an environmental project "Sama-sama para sa Kalikasan: Proyekto ng Sangguniang Kabataan".
They said that Cajes could not account for P8M of the P10M since only 20 SK Federated Presidents received P100T each for a total of P2M only.
Also, an additional P10M from GMA for the same project was allegedly received by the Federation thru Cajes for the purchase of seedlings. No trace of the purchase could be found.
Even Cajes personal lifestyle was not spared by the complaint. Quoting the Philippine Transparency Reporting Project - "extravagant lifestyles are one of the most obvious indicators of corruption", De Erio and Udtohan lambasted the lavish display of wealth by the SK National President thru the "deliberate spending of cash for the purchase of high-end SLR cameras, expensive dogs, designer bags, branded clothes, cosmetics, accessories and jewelries".
Even as the complainants admitted that beauty enhancement procedures at the Belo Medical Group such as Nose reshaping, chin and cheek implants and facials were purely personal vanities, they were still considered very expensive.
De Erio and Udtohan questioned the "repeated failure to account and liquidate her expenditures of SK funds for placing her under a cloud of doubt"
CAJES UNFAZED
The SK national president, with grace under fire, respected and welcomed the move of her two former allies as their constitutional right to seek redress for their grievances against her from the courts.
"I will answer all the accusations at the proper legal venue. I hope no personal issues will be discussed. My family and loved ones are all behind me". The SK national president is the daughter of former Rep. Roberto Cajes whose wife run for a congressional seat during the last elections.
Cajes refuted the charges hurled against her by De Erio and Udtohan especially on the non-disclosure of financial statements.
Showing voluminous documents on national top rated "24 Oras" television news, Cajes refuted the allegations of De Erio and Udtohan that no financial statements were prepared and available to SK members.
When interviewed also over dyRD's "Inyong Alagad," Cajes expressed surprise where the P93M figure came from.
"The 2008 and 2009 financial statements has been signed by the treasurer, accountant and myself while the 2010 report are ready to be signed" assured Cajes.
"If they want to see all the documents, "pwede sila mo-adto sa atong office sa Manila ug pwede namo dad-on sa Bohol", she added.
The complaint covered violations of provisions of RA 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act and RA 6713 - Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.
According to the complainants, the first formal complaint on transparency issues regarding alleged financial irregularities against Ms. Cajes was filed by the Junior Graft Watch Unit of Cebu on April 23, 2010 at the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas, Cebu.
The complaint remains unresolved.
De Erio and Udtohan further assured the public that no politicians are behind their filing of the case against Cajes.
In a press statement sent to the Chronicle late yesterday afternoon, Cajes said: "In the past days, various fabricated, orchestrated and libelous accusations have been hurled against me not only as SK National Federation President but also against my personal private life not necessarily related to my office. Text messages, which threatened my life and that of the immediate members of my family, were likewise received from texters whose cell numbers I have securely saved. In due time, I will unmask the real person who is the financier and behind all these unfounded, directed and malicious accusations, who is deliberately using persons with questionable records.
These accusers with questionable records claim they have filed a letter-complaint against me before the Ombudsman but I have yet to receive an official copy of the alleged complaint. While these accusers, under the law, have the right to file even an unfounded complaint, I have also the same equal right to file the necessary criminal cases against them should their accusations, this early, are already untrue and malicious.
Until then, I hope I will be fairly and objectively judged by the public for as the legal maxim says: "A person is presumed innocent until proven guilty." (CMV)
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