By NITZ ARANCON with SHIELA MAE BUTLIG, Correspondents
A FORMER city hall “job-order” worker behind a string of accusations of wrongdoing against the Emano family has filed another complaint against Misamis Oriental’s governor and other officials, this time for graft, malversation of public funds, misconduct and dishonesty.
The complainant, Ernesto Molina, filed the complaint against Gov. Yevgeny Vicente Emano, provincial engineer Mario Batar, provincial accountant Marilou Rivera, provincial treasurer Roland Violon, and provincial budget officer Claudia Baliton.
Molina’s most recent complaint was submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman on Oct. 16, 2019. This paper secured a copy of the complaint yesterday.
In the complaint, Molina accused the capitol of undertaking a construction project in Barangay Kimaya, Jasaan town in Misamis Oriental in 2017, a year ahead of an official notice of public bidding.
Incidentally, Molina is the same man behind the 2017 graft and nepotism complaint against Gov. Emano and his brother-in-law President Elipe in connection with the latter’s 2016 appointment as general manager of the Misamis Oriental Integrated Sports Complex. The graft-nepotism complaint was subsequently dismissed on July 27, 2018, over Molina’s failure to debunk the capitol’s assertion that the sports complex is a private enterprise.
Molina is also the man behind two sets of graft complaint against the governor’s late father, former mayor Vicente Emano, before the Office of the Ombudsman in 2018 over the disbursements of a P5.7-million disaster fund and a P4-million pork barrel allocation of Ambis-Owa party-list Rep. Sharon Carin in 2013 when the elder Emano was the city’s mayor. The elder Emano died a few days before this year’s elections.
In his latest complaint, Molina asked the ombudsman to place Gov. Emano and his subordinates under preventive suspension while it conducts an investigation.
Molina also asked the ombudsman to file a criminal case against the capitol officials before the Sandiganbayan and impose administrative sanctions on them for alleged grave misconduct, dishonesty, and violation of Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.
The officials’ accuser alleged in his complaint that the respondents conspired to implement a P1.4-million multi-purpose hall in Barangay Kimaya ahead of a notice of public bidding.
He alleged that the capitol’s bids and awards committee advertised the invitation to bid for the project on March 22, 2018, at the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement Systems (Philgeps) website.
Yet, Molina alleged, the project, costing P1,438,860.60, was constructed by a firm called Nanabon Enterprises a year earlier. He alleged that Nanabon Enterprises completed the construction project in March 2017 or a year before the Philgeps invitation to bid.
Molina also alleged that Nanabon, with office address at Block 1, Lot. 22, Virginia Homes, Barangay Iponan here, was paid P1,290,903.52 on July 7, 2018.
He stated in his complaint that the officials “had no intention” of complying with the rules on public procurements and that “the results were already pre-determined.”
Gov. Emano could not be reached for comments at press time but capitol spokesman Florito “Carlo” Dugaduga told the Gold Star Daily that provincial engineer Batar, one of the respondents, has been asked by his office to go over the records about the multi-purpose hall construction project.
“Ako pang gipasubay sa Provincial Engineer’s Office ug atong gipa-check ang record sa document ana nga project,” said Dugaduga.
He said he called up Batar and the engineer was unaware of Molina’s complaint.
Neither was there any notice from the Office of the Ombudsman about Molina’s complaint.
“Ako mang gitawagan si Engr. Batar ug ingon niya nga iyang ipasubay. Gipahibawo nako nga naay complaint kuno ug wa man siya niingon nga nakabalo sya bahin ana nga complaint. Iya lang sulti iyang ipa-check,” Dugaduga said.
Dugaduga said the capitol would make its position on Molina’s complaint anytime soon.
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