COA execs face criminal indictment over multi-million-peso bonuses

MANILA, Philippines – Sixteen executives and employees of the Commission on Audit (COA) are facing criminal indictment for receiving millions of pesos in illegal additional compensation and bonuses from the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) from 2006 to 2010, the Office of the Ombudsman said.

They are state auditors Juanito Daguno Jr, Proceso Saavedra, Teresita Tam, Corazon Cabotage, Evangeline Sison and Vilma Tiongson; data machine operators Violeta Gamil and Roberto Villa; and executives Edna Anical, Thelma Baldovino, Evelyn de Leon, Nestorio Ferrera, Zoharayda Obog, Ligaya Principio, Jesusa Punsalan, and Paulino Sarmiento.

They allegedly violated Section 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019  or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, the Ombudsman said on Friday, November 6.

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales ordered the dismissal of 6 state auditors and two machine operators for grave misconduct. They were perpetually disqualified for re-employment in the government service, with cancellation of eligibility and forfeiture of retirement benefits.

‘Huge and arbitrary’

The Ombudsman’s investigation showed that LWUA executives approved and signed Letters of Instructions directing the issuance of checks totaling P25 million ($533,516), covering the “irregular bonuses for LWUA and COA personnel from 2006 to 2010.”

Based on the records of the COA Human Resource Office, the respondents received the following amounts during the period:

• Edna Anical, P789,000 ($16,835)
• Thelma Baldovino, P886,000 ($18,905)
• Evelyn de Leon, P517,000 ($11,027)
• Juanito Daguno Jr, P615,000 ($13,118)
• Nestorio Ferrera, P961,000 ($20,498)
• Violeta Gamil, P834,000 ($17,789)
• Zoharayda Obog, P658,000 ($14,035)
• Ligaya Principio, P642,000 ($13,694)
• Jesusa Punsalan, P602,000 ($12,841)
• Proceso Saavedra, P692,000 ($14,760)
• Paulino Sarmiento, P703,000 ($14,995)
• Tereista Tam, P592,000 ($12,627)
• Roberto Villa, P650,000 ($13,866)
• Corazon Cabotage, P542,000 ($11,562)
• Evangeline Sison, P183,000 ($3,903)
• Vilma Tiongson, P164,000 ($3,499)

The Joint Resolution stated that “the amount given were huge and arbitrary.”

It noted that the COA machine operators assigned at LWUA, for example, received as much as P140,000 ($2,987) and P43,000 ($917) in November 2006 alone. They each received bonuses twice a month in November 2006, September and December 2007, September and December 2008, and March  2010.

‘Motivated by malicious intent’

“Their patent disregard of the existing policy of their own institution against the practice of receiving additional compensation cannot be deemed a mere lapse of judgment. Respondents, being state auditors and employees of COA itself, are presumed to know the prohibition,” the Joint Resolution said.

Morales said that the “COA auditors and employees were obviously motivated by malicious intent to favor self-interest at the expense of the public.”

“Their acts are contrary to accepted rules of right and duty, honesty and good morals,” she said.

The Ombudsman found LWUA executives Lorenzo Jamora, Wilfredo Feleo, Orlando Hondrade and Daniel Landingin guilty of simple misconduct.

They were ordered suspended without pay for 6 months.  In case of separation from the service, the penalty is convertible to a fine equivalent to 6 months’ salary, the Ombudsman said.

“Their stamp of approval and authorization for fund disbursement as payment for the questioned benefits is a clear transgression” of the Salary Standardization Law and other COA regulations,” the Ombudsman said. – Rappler.com

US$1 = P46.85