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MANILA, Philippines – Former Iloilo 2nd District Representative and Technical Education and Skills Authority (Tesda) director general Augusto Syjuco, Jr is facing another set of graft charges, this time, over the fertilizer fund scam.
Syjuco and 12 others are facing charges for allegedly conspiring in the misuse of P5-million worth of public funds from the P723 million alloted to the Ginintuang Masaganang Ani (GMA) Program of the Department of Agriculture under former president Gloria Macapaga-Arroyo.
The complaint was filed by Manuel Mejorada, former provincial administrator of Iloilo, before the Office of the Ombudsman for the Visayas on February 27, 2006.
The Ombudsman found that Syjuco, along with the Region VI field office of the Department of Agriculture, and the late mayor of Alimodian, Iloilo, Bernardo Ambut, broke exiting rules and regulations in accrediting the cooperative.
The Tawo Kag Duta sa Kauswagan Cooperation had signed an undated memorandum of agreement with the municipality of Alimodian to implement the GMA program.
While the first tranche of the P5-million fund worth P3.25 million or 65% was released to the cooperative, it has failed to submit a liquidation report as of November 16, 2005.
Syjuco was found to have “orchestrated” a scheme to show that he did not favor the cooperative, which was connected to a foundation he owned, the Ombudsman said. Investigations showed Syjuco had previously endorsed the cooperative to the regional DA office and the Alimodian municipality but when the MOA was signed, it did not include an official accreditation from Tesda.
A March 24, 2000 Certificate of Registrative issued by the Cooperative Development Authority showed the cooperative shared the same address as the residence of Syjuco.
Mejorada, the complainant, was one of the registered cooperators of the cooperative.
In his defense, Syjuco accused Mejorada of being a “serial extortionist” and argued his only role in the project was to identify LGUs where the funds would be awarded.
He argued he was not a member of the cooperative and only allowed it to use his residential address for the purposes of its incorporation while it was looking for a suitable workplace.
Mejorada, meanwhile, accused Syjuco of creating the cooperative to support his political activities by way of utilizing it as “a convenient conduit to siphon public funds earmarked for the implementation of the DA project.”
Also facing charges for the fertilizer fund scam are former Alimodian vice mayor Ramon Anino; Sangguniang Bayan (town council) members Ireneo Modero, Geefre Alonsabe, Emmanuel Adricula, Job Almacen, Aquiles Cabaluna, Moguel Ambong, Roy Almonares; Municipal Agriculturist Roberto Alcudia; and private individuals Timoteo Tomas Salvilla, Edgardo Comoda, and Corazon Taladua.
Syjuco and his wife, former Iloilo Representative Judy Syjuco, are also facing charges for the alleged misuse of P20 million in Priority Development Assistance Fund. – Rappler.com
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