Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Proceso Alcala and National Agribusiness Corp. (Nabcor) president Honesto Baniqued are facing plunder complaints for allegedly amassing billions of pesos in public money.
In a complaint filed before the Office of the Ombudsman Friday, Sanlakas party-list legal counsel Argee Guevarra accused Alcala and Baniqued of plunder, violating the Anti-Graft Law, malversation of public funds and violating the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.
The complaint stemmed from allegedly anomalous transactions, unliquidated projects and procurements totalling P11.4 billion that the Commission on Audit noted in its 2012 audit of the department.
The complaint enumerated the alleged anomalies:
- P5.8 billion in financial transactions for 2012 were without supporting vouchers until Mar. 31, 2013; of these a remaining substantial amount of P8.5 million was disbursed without, to this date disbursement vouchers (DVs) and journal entry vouchers.
- Disbursements worth P31.4 million that lacked the signatures of the approving authority.
- The amount of P53 million supposedly invested in a joint venture that has gone missing and is not reflected in the joint venture partner’s books.
- A total of P156 million that was supposedly disbursed but cannot be found in the documentation for Nabcor’s project funds.
- A consultant was “hired” for P10.3 million to “negotiate” with another government entity, PDIC, when this was not needed and the amount of P5.3 million was allegedly expended without the consultant rendering work.
In a telephone interview with GMA News Online, Guevarra questioned the timing of most of Nabcor’s transactions particularly those made in 2012. Nabcor is an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture.
He said government agencies are required to account for money 41 days after the funds are released.
“And assuming that the liquidation was accurate, more than P500 million of the disbursement is still unaccounted up to now,” he added.
Guevarra earlier accused Alcala of using the Agriculture department’s funds to finance his son Irvin Alcala’s failed gubernatorial bid in Quezon province in 2013.
But with such a huge amount of money involved in the allegedly anomalous transactions, Guevarra said he suspects public coffers were used to finance the political ambitions of other people too.
“Based on the COA report, P11.4 billion lahat-lahat (DA’s alleged anomalous transactions). Sa laking ng halaga na ito, it can finance not [just] one candidate but a party,” he said.
He said some farmers from Quezon province have already expressed willingness to testify on DA’s alleged anomalous transactions, but refused to elaborate as he is yet to meet with them.
Two plunder raps were also filed against Alcala last year, one was filed by farmers group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) and Guevarra filed the other.
GMA News Online tried to reach Alcala for comment but his two cell phone numbers were left unattended. Calls to his office were also unanswered. — JDS, GMA News
