COUNCILORS Zaldy Ocon, Teodulfo Lao Jr., and Roger Abaday have filed a reconstituted affidavit at the ombudsman in connection with the 2010 graft complaint they filed against ex-mayor Vicente Emano and other officials over city hall’s controversial rural telephone system project.
Lawyer James Judith, a city hall consultant, said his clients decided to reconstitute their joint affidavit in the hope of making the ombudsman act on the graft complaint against Emano and other present and former city hall officials.
The councilors and Judith reconstituted the joint affidavit in response to Gold Star Daily’s July 16 report that quoted from a Commission on Audit (COA) ruling that upheld a decision to make Emano, et al., return some P31.5 million that was released in tranches as payment to the project contractor, Supplier Contractor Network Telecommunication Inc. (Scantel).
The councilors filed the complaint for grave misconduct, and graft and corruption on Nov. 22, 2010. Charged with Emano were former city hall executives Wilma Rugay, Estrella Sagaral, Emmanuel Abejuela, Lino Daral, and Scantel managing director Edelito Badua.
Judith said they decided to submit the reconstituted affidavit because they were wondering why it was taking the ombudsman this long to act on the 2010 complaint.
He pointed out that the COA already acted on it by issuing rulings but they have not yeat heard anything from the ombudsman.
“Natingala kami ngano nga ang ombudsman wala mo-action sa among gipasaka nga kaso. So ma-o ni nga ang akong mga clients nag-file sa reconstituted joint affidavit aron sa pagemind sa ombudsman nga ilang dali-on ang pag-imbistigar sa maong kaso, ug pag-prosecute sa mga officials,” Judith said.
The COA en banc earlier ruled “with finality” to the former mayor and his group return the money to city hall because of alleged anomalies in the city hall-Scantel deal that was supposed to benefit 17 hinterland barangays in the city. (nitz arancon)
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