Plunder case vs Jamora still alive, says ex-MWSS employee
After almost two years, the complainant in the plunder case against Iloilo City mayoralty bet Lorenzo “Larry” Jamora resurfaced to warn metro residents against voting for the former administrator of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS).
Presenting his “proofs,” former MWSS Employees Union President Genaro Bautista said that Iloilo City residents would feel sorry if Jamora would be elected as the city’s chief executive.
And why not? Bautista stood pat in his earlier accusations that millions of pesos went to naught during Jamora’s stint as MWSS administrator.
“The said money could have mitigated the plight of the Filipino people who were affected by the El Niño phenomenon,” Bautista claimed.
Aside from plunder, it was gathered that the complainant accused Jamora and five other MWSS employees for violation of the anti-graft law and malversation of public funds for allegedly misappropriating funds worth P63.69 million.
Bautista, in a case filed before the Department of Justice, alleged that from February 2007 to January 2008, the six MWSS officials retrieved, through check withdrawal, the amount of P32 million from MWSS’ bank accounts.
The case stemmed from the officials’ alleged unauthorized withdrawal from the MWSS’ P791-million restricted fund, which they did not record in the agency’s books.
“The alleged disbursement vouchers covering the said withdrawals were not forwarded to the Accounting Section of MWSS for proper recording in the books,” the complaint stated.
As per his complaint, Bautista pointed out that under Jamora’s helm, the MWSS bought HGC debenture bonds with a face value of P259.5 million at a purchase price of P274.989 million, at a premium of P15.48 million which is tantamount to a loss.
He also recounted several purchase of bonds like Home Guarantee Corporation (HGC)debenture bonds at P58.557 million, even though the face value was P54.57 million, resulting in the loss of P3.98 million; and National Power Corporation (Napocor) bonds with a face value of P213.79 million, at a purchase price of P225.976 million.
He pointed out that no authorization was given by the MWSS Board of Trustees for the purchase of the said bonds.
“There should have been an authorization since the money used to buy them was considered as restricted cash,” he added.
“The purchase of the HGC debenture and Napocor bonds is manifestly and grossly disadvantageous to the MWSS because the MWSS actually paid by way of premium for interest which it will no longer receive,” he said.
Bautista claimed that if the restricted funds were not misappropriated, more than a thousand retired employees would have received their benefits without the need to borrow funds from the Land Bank of the Philippines and the Philippine National Bank.
It was gathered that the MWSS Board applied for a loan with the PNB and LBP to be able to pay the retirees.
By these accusations, “sana maawa naman ang mga Ilonggo sa sarili nila kung iboboto nila si Larry Jamora.”
Bautista also pointed out that no one compensated him to come out in the open.
Earlier, Jamora claimed that the accusations against him were made after he made a big splash at the MWSS and some personalities were thrown out of office.
