7 DPWH-CAR execs, 3 others face raps over road anomaly

MANILA, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman yesterday ordered the filing of charges of graft and malversation of public funds before the Sandiganbayan against the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) director and six other officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and three others for the payment of P2.5 million for fictitious road right-of-way claims in 2001. 

Facing charges are DPWH-CAR regional director Antonio Purugganan, assistant regional director Edilberto Carabbacan, legal officer Alberto Tremor, OIC division chief Juliet Anosan, cashier III Evelyn Picardal, project engineer Cristobal Tinaza, and engineer II Christian Felix Kanongkong.

Also to be charged are private surveyor Primo Menzi; La Trinidad, Benguet municipal assessor Eduardo Abastilla; and Benguet assistant provincial assessor Sambrano Soriano.

In a 29-page resolution, the Office of the Ombudsman said Purugganan, conspiring with the respondents, caused the disbursement of public funds amounting to P2,557,200 based on the allegedly fictitious and anomalous road right-of-way claims of one Antero Palaci and Gertrude Ingosan 13 years ago.

“Every single document that purportedly supported the claims of Palaci and Ingosan exposes the anomalies being orchestrated by the signatories,” the anti-graft agency said.

Prior to 1997, the DPWH-CAR undertook a road improvement project along the Pico-Lamtang Road in La Trinidad, Benguet.

On Dec. 11, 2001, Tinaza, the project engineer, certified that based on field investigation, the properties of Palaci and Ingosan were affected by the road improvement project, thus the amounts of P2,196,300 and P360,900 were paid to them, respectively.

On Nov. 5, 2003, the Commission on Audit-CAR discovered that the road right-of-way claims were the “products of forgery,” thus it disallowed the disbursements to Palaci and Ingosan, as their properties were not actually traversed by the road improvement project.

The Office of the Ombudsman said it was highly improbable for Ingosan to execute a deed of conveyance in 2002 as she died in 2000, adding her heirs even did not receive any payment.  

In an earlier ruling, the Office of the President dismissed Purugganan from the government service over the same irregularity.