North Cotabato congressman faces raps for 'ghost' gas purchases

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Friday, June 17, 2011

MANILA -- Acting Ombudsman Orlando Casimiro has ordered graft charges filed against Representative Jesus Sacladan for allegedly spending P18.6 million for “ghost” gasoline purchases when he was governor.

The charges –12 counts of malversation and 12 counts of graft – stemmed from a complaint filed by Milagros Casis, a former district engineer, who accused Sacdalan of telling her to manipulate financial records of the province's calamity fund in 2008.

Sacdalan, then governor of Cotabato, wanted the calamity fund released to buy gasoline for repair work on the San Vicente-Bulcanon Road in Makilala and the Nicaan-Banisilan Road in Alamada.

According to the Office of the Ombudsman, Sacdalan released more money than what was needed to finish the projects.

In one transaction made in May 2008, the Provincial Government bought 134,438.72 liters of fuel from a gas station in Midsayap town that only had 16,000 liters in stock, the Office of the Ombudsman said.

Casis said she "was repeatedly ordered by the governor to revise the program of works covering the road project in order to hide irregularities in fuel purchases."

She said Sacdalan authorized the release of P12 million for fuel from Double V Petron in Kidapawan City. A Shell station in Midsayap town, was given P6.6 million, she said. (Jonathan de Santos/Sunnex)