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Antique gov charged over P728-M fertilizer scam


MANILA, Philippines —A provincial official has filed criminal and administrative charges against Antique Governor Salvacion Perez in connection with the P728-million fertilizer fund scandal. Provincial board member Tobias Javier accused Perez and officers of the Antique Development Foundation Inc. of buying fertilizers at an overprice of P2.3 million. Online news site Visayan Daily Star (www.visayandailystar.com) reported that Javier lodged the four-page complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman on April 22. Perez was charged as ADF honorary chairwoman. Charged along with her were ADF chairwoman Dioleta Guerra; vice chair Aser Baladjay; secretary Eliseo Canalin; treasurer Maritess Tanchuan; executive director Rhodora Pon-an; finance officer Eva Alera; and program officer Joey Pun-an. They were charged for violating Republic Act 3019 (The Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act), Republic Act 6713 (Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees) and provisions of the Revised Penal Code. Perez said Javier should have “check his facts"first because she had long been out of the ADF when the fertilizer fund scam happened — somewhere between 2004-2006. She said she resigned from the foundation since 1994, before she became governor. The governor also dismissed the complaint as “politically motivated" because Javier is a nephew of her political rival, Antique Rep. Exequiel Javier. Pon-an said they will issue a statement after they have received a copy of the complaint and after it has been discussed by the organizations officers and their lawyer. The ADF reportedly received P5 million from the GMA Farm Input Fund in 2004. The fund was allegedly distributed to allies of President Arroyo, supposedly to ensure her victory in the 2004 presidential election. In his complaint, Javier accused the respondents of declaring the price of the fertilizer 10 times its actual price. Citing a Commission on Audit Report, Javier said the ADF purchased 2,000 liters of liquid foliar fertilizers branded as “Florida Green" at P1,250 per liter for a total of P2.5 million. An independent canvass done by COA pegged the price at only P100 per liter or a total of P200,000 for 2,000 liters. This signifies an overprice of P1,150 per liter or a total of P2.3 million, according to Javier. Javier also accused the ADF of defrauding the government because the organization had no legal existence or corporate identity when it received the fund in 2004. He cited an order of the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 20, 2003 revoking the registration of ADF for failure to file required reports. The registration was reinstated on March 8, 2006 after the foundation submitted the requirements and paid the penalties. Javier accused the respondents of failing to liquidate or account for the remaining P2.5 million of the fund. He also alleged that the ADF falsified entries in its report and forged signatures to make it appear that several organization associated with ADF received the fertilizer from ADF “when they actually neither did nor had." The provincial board had unanimously passed a resolution on January 8, 2009 requesting the Commission on Audit to conduct a special inquiry on the ADF. But in a letter to the board dated February 10, Perez disapproved the resolution for the “sinister and pernicious implication conveyed by the subject matter." She added the issue was already investigated by Congress and she said that “organizations receiving financial assistance from the provincial government judicially use the funds granted to them, observing strict adherence to accounting requirements." - GMANews.TV
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