Former DAR official faces estafa raps

MANILA, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman ordered yesterday the filing of estafa charges against a former assistant secretary of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) for allegedly soliciting money from a security agency.

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales also found Dominador Andres guilty of the administrative offenses of dishonesty and grave misconduct, which is supposed to be punishable with dismissal from the service.

But since Andres had already retired, he was meted a fine equivalent to a year of salary along with the accessory penalties of cancellation of eligibility, forfeiture of retirement benefits, and perpetual disqualification from holding public office.

The Ombudsman’s investigators said they were able to establish that Andres solicited a total of P610,000 from Isla Security Agency (ISA) in 2009, allegedly in exchange for a favorable result in a bidding. ISA marketing director Marjorie Escorial filed the complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman.

Records of the case show that in February 2009, Escorial learned from a certain Milagrina Birosel that the DAR was accepting bidders for security services. Birosel introduced Escorial to Andres who allegedly induced Escorial to give him P210,000.

On April 18, 2009, Andres allegedly asked Escorial to give P500,000, which he would give to DAR Undersecretary Narciso Nieto, who would be the one to award the contract.

Escorial said she gave Andres only P400,000 and Andres, in turn, issued a personal check for P400,000 dated May 20, 2009 as a guarantee that he will make good on his promise to get her the contract.

When Escorial later learned that another security agency won the bidding, she deposited the check for payment but it had insufficient funds. Escorial, through her lawyer, demanded that Andres return her money.

The Office of the Ombudsman, in its ruling, said Andres clearly used his position as assistant secretary to misrepresent and solicit money from complainant with the promise of a favorable decision.