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Thursday, January 29, 2004
Lex got P270T via Barili
By Jeanette P. Malinao Sun.Star Staff Reporter
With Garry Cabotaje
AFTER the Capitol wwithheld in April last year the P3-million balance for Perdido Lex Foundation Inc., Vice Gov. John Gregory Osmeña still managed to release funds for its “computerization program” by coursing the money through the Barili Municipal Government.
The Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas opened yesterday a fact-finding docket on the release of public funds to the foundation that, according to justice department investigators, might be fictitious.
Ombudsman Director Virginia Palanca Santiago will head the three-member panel that will go over the case.
Barili Mayor Robert Alquizola, in a letter to Gov. Pablo Garcia, said they released only 15 percent of the P2 million they were supposed to give the foundation.
This is because it failed to liquidate the amount released on Nov. 17, 2003 for “a supposed massive comprehensive and extensive computer education program for out-of-school youth of Barili.”
Alquizola also said the Barili Municipal Council rescinded its contract with Perdido Lex because the agreement states that it has to liquidate within 30 days the fund release.
The mayor is now asking Garcia to approve their move to realign the remaining amount, which is P1.73 million and still in a trust fund with Barili, so they can repair barangay roads.
“We trust that with your approval we will be able to deliver to our constituents what they need most,” Alquizola wrote Garcia.
New link
Garcia yesterday said he referred the officials to Osmeña, whose discretionary funds served as source for the allocation.
In an earlier press conference, Osmeña had said he approves of Alquizola’s request.
He had also denied knowledge of Perdido Lex, pointing to his gubernatorial rival, Gwendolyn Garcia, as having “manipulated” things so the blame will rest on him. Gwen had laughed off Osmeña’s defense.
The governor also yesterday said Barili’s officials might be able to present a clue as to the identity of the people behind Perdido Lex, because the foundation did business with the municipality.
“John-john’s defense is very shallow and unbelievable. This (issue) will not go away until the people behind this come out. It will haunt him,” said Governor Garcia.
Fictitious addresses
So far, even the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has not been able to verify the identity of Perdido Lex’s incorporators because most of them gave fictitious addresses.
The company that Perdido Lex contracted for a P1.2-million demographic survey is also non-existent.
As of now, NBI investigator Renato Mandawe is focusing his efforts on finding out who is behind BPI account number 02004-013-4, where the Capitol’s money was deposited.
Mandawe said the NBI may ask the ombudsman’s office or the Anti-Money Laundering Council to help with NBI’s probe into the bank account.
Mandawe was also able to trace Gerry Pilar, the certified public accountant who certified Perdido Lex’s fiscal statements. The two were supposed to meet yesterday but Pilar had another appointment, so Mandawe may just issue a subpoena.
(January 29, 2004 issue)
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