Genuino accused of using rice aid for sons' poll campaign

UPDATED 11:30 a.m. - The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) filed another graft and malversation charge against its former chairperson, Efraim Genuino. In its fourth criminal complaint against Genuino, PAGCOR alleged that part of the 300 metric tons of rice donated by Japan's Aruze Corp. in 2008 was used for the electoral campaign of Genuino's two sons in the May 2010 elections. The complaint was filed by PAGCOR President and Chief Operating Officer Jorge Sarmiento with the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday. Aside from Genuino, the other respondents in the complaint include:

his sons Anthony and Erwin;

former PAGCOR senior vice president for corporate communications Edward King, and

Los Baños city administrator Mai Mai Tado, also an official of the Genuino-owned Trace Computer College. The rice donations were supposed to be distributed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to victims of Typhoon Frank in 2008. However, out of the 300 metric tons of rice (10,000 sacks), about 105 metric tons (3,500 sacks) were allegedly received by PAGCOR and used the rice donations to bolster the candidacies of Genuino's two sons. Sarmiento said about P3.1 million in public funds were misused, consisting of:

P1.4 million worth of rice, and

P1.7 million expenses for logistics, shipment, trucking, storage, and repacking of the rice donations. As of posting time, GMA News Online is still trying to reach the Genuinos for comment.

PAGCOR representatives, led by President Jorge Sarmiento, present the rice sacks bearing the names and faces of Genuino's sons.Sophia Dedace

Bags of rice recovered from a Laguna warehouse had the names and faces of Genuino's sons, Anthony and Erwin. Anthony won as mayor in Los Baños, Laguna while Erwin lost to Jun-jun Binay, son of Vice President Jejomar Binay, in the mayoral race in Makati City. The elder Genuino had earlier maintained his innocence, claiming that the sacks of rice were donated to him in his personal capacity and that he turned over the donation to PAGCOR. However, in 2008, a PAGCOR press release said that Aruze Corp. donated the rice to the Philippine government, and not to Genuino for his own disposal. 3 other complaints The complaint filed on Monday is the fourth and latest criminal charge filed against Genuino and his alleged accomplices and cohorts. The first graft and malversation complaint, filed with the DOJ, stemmed from the alleged misuse of P26.7 million fund for the production of the movie "Baler." PAGCOR shouldered the production cost of the movie, which was supposed to have been paid by BIDA Productions, where Genuino's son, Erwin, was an executive producer. The second set of graft and corruption complaints was filed last month at the Office of the Ombudsman. PAGCOR said Genuino and former officials of the state-owned gaming firm misused about P34 million in financial assistance meant for Filipino athletes. Meanwhile, the third complaint consisted of plunder, graft, and malversation charges. Filed last week, the complaint questioned the P186 million used to fund the anti-drug campaign of BIDA Foundation Inc., whose officials were also former PAGCOR officials. BIDA Foundation also ran as a party-list group in the May 2010 elections and had Genuino's daughter, Sheryl, as its first nominee. - VVP, GMA News