Political patrons of DPWH personnel involved in scam start lobby drive

Political patrons of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials who have been suspended for their alleged involvement in a P139-million vehicle repair scam have stepped up efforts to stop an ongoing investigation.

Sources at the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC) said top government officials have been calling their office to pressure Government Corporate Counsel Amado Valdez to ease up on the probe on at least five 22 DPWH employees, including three ranking officials.

"But Attorney Valdez told them that he cannot do anything about it since it was President Arroyo who ordered their suspension," the sources told The STAR.

Among those suspended were Undersecretaries Edmundo Mir and Mabini Pablo and motorpool division Chief Maximo Borje, who were placed under a 90-day preventive suspension on the order of Mrs. Arroyo.

Government lawyers said the officials and employees would likely be charged with the capital crime of plunder for allegedly colluding in drawing payments for the fictitious repairs of some 521 vehicles over several years and amounting to some P139 million.

Mabini, undersecretary for finance, denied the allegations and said he was "blameless" on the anomalies since the papers on the fictitious repairs never passed his desk because they "were well beneath my day-to-day span of effective control."

"It should be stressed that I am not being accused of participating, in any capacity, whether directly or indirectly, on the irregularities alleged. I have read the audit report on the anomalies and I am definitely not among the 41 DPWH employees being implicated, whether directly or not," Pablo said in a statement.

"I have been a public servant for nearly 30 years. I have served as DPWH assistant secretary and undersecretary under four presidents. Through all those years, I have kept faith with my integrity and my honor as well as the name, integrity and honor of my family," he added.

But government lawyers said Pablo could be held liable for neglect of duty, enabling the culprits to perpetuate the irregularity for several years now.

Aside from Pablo, Mir and Borje, five DPWH directors, all presidential appointees, and 17 other officials have been implicated in the audit report signed by DPWH internal auditor Irene Ofilada.

The President also ordered the filing of charges against presidential appointees Emily Tanquintic, director for comptrollership and finance management; Burt Favorito, director for administrative and manpower management services; and Florendo Arias, assistant director for bureau of equipment. All three were presidential appointees.

Also reportedly placed on the carpet were Abraham Divina Jr., director for bureau of equipment, and Oscar Abundo, director for legal services.

Acting Ombudsman Margarito Gervacio has asked the Bureau of Immigration to place the DPWH personnel under its watch list and created a panel of investigators who are expected to come out with their recommendations tomorrow.

DPWH Secretary Simeon Datumanong has also created a panel to study the filing of administrative charges against the employees.

Gervacio said initial investigation show that the irregularity has been going on since 1990, but was uncovered only early this year.

He said Borje’s signature was found on a third of the anomalous vouchers and the motorpool chief is believed to have raked in as much as P63 million from the scam, while five other DPWH officials got about P20 million.

Two other DPWH officials were found to have pocketed at least P2 million or more from the anomalous disbursements for purported repairs of the vehicles at exorbitant costs, Gervacio said.

If the panel so recommends, Gervacio said every DPWH official who signed the vouchers authorizing release of the funds for the fictitious and overpriced repairs of the vehicles would be included in the list of respondents.

According to Ofilada’s audit report, some of the vouchers covered vehicle repairs that were even higher than the actual value of the vehicle.

Ofilada said some of the vehicles which presumably underwent repairs at the DPWH motorpool were not even owned by the department, but the cost of repairs were paid for by the agency.