P14.4M from PDAF of Clavel benefitted QC NGO

CEBU, Philippines - A total of P14.4 million in pork barrel funds of former Cebu 4th district Rep. Clavel Asas-Martinez was given to a Quezon City based  non-government organization for livelihood training of 434 beneficiaries but only 12 were registered voters of the 4th district.

These were the findings of the Commission on Audit (COA) on the use of the congresswoman’s Priority Development Assistance Funds covering calendar years 2007 to 2009.

COA identified the recipient NGO as the Dr. Rodolfo A. Ignacio, Sr. Foundation, Inc. (DRAISFI) with offices at 34 Ricardo St. Hayville Subdivision, Project 6, Bahay Toro, Quezon City, as reflected in a memorandum of agreement signed in 2007.

The audit commission found that the NGO was not registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission but was issued permits by the Quezon City government.

COA said the NGO confirmed receipt of a total of P164.621 million from various lawmakers and that the projects funded by the PDAF it received have been completed.

The NGO went on to claim that the manner and criteria for selection of projects and identification of beneficiaries are in accordance with the guidelines set by the legislator and the Technology Resource Center (TRC).

Documents gathered by COA from TRC, however, disclosed that the validity of the transactions are questionable saying that the disbursement vouchers were merely supported with acknowledgment receipts purportedly issued by the payees without indicating the establishments they are representing and their respective addresses.

The amount of financial assistance received by each of the participants of the livelihood trainings given by the NGO was not indicated in the list it submitted but it was found that, in the case of the fourth district of the Province of Cebu, only 12 out of the 434 beneficiaries, were registered voters of the district.

The audit team sent the sponsoring legislators, including Martinez, letters to validate their signatures on the documents presented by the NGO. The team, however, said that Martinez did not reply to the request.

Martinez could not be reached for comment as of last night.

This is not the first time that questions were raised on the disbursement of Martinez’s PDAF.

The Office of the Ombudsman earlier charged Martinez; her son, former Bogo City mayor Celestino “Tining” Martinez III; and Bogo City Councilors Rhett Minguez and Crecencio Verdida, Rhodariza Kilantang, Julieta Quiño and Maria Cielo Martinez, the congresswoman’s daughter for violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act over the P10 million allocated for the Girls’ Scout of the Philippines that was allegedly deposited to Clavel’s personal bank account way back in 2003.

Martinez and the other respondents have a pending warrant of arrest but the Sandiganbayan suspended the warrants last August 7 because of the Omnibus Motions to Dismiss filed separately by the accused.  (FREEMAN)