Perez tells BM Javier: Check your facts well
Antique Gov. Salvacion Zaldivar-Perez has refuted the complaint filed before the Office of the Ombudsman for alleged irregularities in the disbursement of a P5 million fertilizer fund.
In a statement released yesterday through the province's public information office and through radio station dyKA in the capital town of San Jose, Perez denied that she is still connected with the Antique Development Foundation Inc. (ADF), the recipient of the fund from the controversial GMA Farm Input Fund.
Criminal and administrative charges were filed on April 22 against Perez and officers of the ADF in relation to the alleged P728 million fertilizer scam.
In a four-page complaint filed before the Office of the Ombudsman, provincial board member Tobias Javier accused Perez and officers of the Antique Development Foundation Inc. (ADF) for purchasing fertilizers at an overprice of P2.3 million.
Aside from Perez who is allegedly ADF's honorary chair, also named respondents were Dioleta Guerra (chair), Aser Baladjay (vice chair), Eliseo Canalin (secretary), Maritess Tanchuan (treasurer), Rhodora Pon-An (executive director), Eva Alera (finance officer) and Joey Pun-an (program officer).
They were charged for violating Republic Act 3019 (The Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act), Republic Act 6713 (Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees) and provisions of the Revise Penal Code.
The ADF received P5 million from the GMA Farm Input Fund in 2004 which has been investigated by Congress and COA.
The fund was allegedly distributed to allies of President Macapagal-Arroyo, purportedly to help ensure her victory in the 2004 presidential election.
In his complaint, Javier accused the respondents of declaring the price of the fertilizer 10 times its actual price.
Citing a COA Audit Report, Javier said the ADF purchased 2,000 liters of liquid foliar fertilizers branded as “Florida Green” at P1,250 per liter or a total of P2.5 million.
But independent canvass done by COA pegged the price at only P100 per liter or a total of P200,000 for 2,000 liters. This signifies an overprice of P1,150 per liter or a total of P2.3 million, according to Javier.
Javier also accused the ADF of defrauding the government because the organization had no legal existence or corporate identity when it received the fund in 2004.
He cited an order of the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 20, 2003 revoking the registration of ADF for failure to file required reports. The registration was re-instated on March 8, 2006 after the foundation submitted the requirements and paid the penalties.
Javier accused the respondents of failing to liquidate or account for the remaining P2.5 million of the fund.
He also alleged that the ADF falsified entries in its report and forged signatures to make it appear that several organizations associated with ADF received the fertilizer from ADF “when they actually neither did nor had.”
The provincial board had unanimously passed a resolution on January 8, 2009 requesting the Commission on Audit to conduct a special inquiry on the ADF.
But in a letter to the board dated February 10, Perez disapproved the resolution for the “sinister and pernicious implication conveyed by the subject matter.”
The governor said the issue was already investigated by Congress and she said that “organizations receiving financial assistance from the provincial government judicially use the funds granted to them, observing strict adherence to accounting requirements.”
Perez said that since 1994, before she became the governor, she already resigned from the foundation.
She advised Javier to “check his facts and do his research well.”
The governor also dismissed the complaint as “politically motivated” because Javier is a nephew of her political rival, Antique Rep. Exequiel Javier.
ADF Executive Director Rhodora Pon-an said in an interview on Monday that they will issue a statement after they have received a copy of the complaint and after it has been discussed by the organization's officers and their lawyer.