TESDA chief Syjuco to face plunder charge

A group of government employees will file on Tuesday a plunder case against Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) director general Augusto Syjuco for alleged anomalous projects amounting to P3.8 billion in government funds. Public Services Labor Independent Confederation (PSLIC) will initiate the filing of the plunder case with the Office of the Ombudsman. The case was based largely on the 2008 report from the Commission on Audit (COA), according to PSLIC general secretary Annie Enriquez Geron. “Syjuco must be made accountable for no less than P3.8 billion in anomalies during his term. This includes wasteful caravans and unnecessary spending on infomercials, ridiculously high telephone bills and frequent travels to Iloilo, unsubstantiated and insufficiently documented expenditures on representation… and diversion of at least P231 million to his favored district 2 of Iloilo in pursuit of his political goals and vested interests," said Geron. Syjuco could not be reached for comment as of posting time, but TESDA public information office chief Marta Hernandez said the accusations have already been answered by Syjuco as early as last year. “Matagal na ‘yan. Last year pa ‘yan nasagot (That’s already an old issue. It has already been answered last year). Director General Syjuco has already requested help from the National Bureau of Investigation for a formal investigation," Hernandez said. She was referring to the complaints earlier filed by the group where some of the allegations were included in the new plunder case. Hernandez said Syjuco had denied all the accusations against him. The plunder case seeks to take Syjuco to task for violations of Republic Act (RA) 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, RA 6713 or the Code of Conduct of and Ethical Standards for Government Officials and Employees, and the General Appropriations Act of 2006, 2007 and 2008. - KBK, GMANews.TV