MANILA, Philippines – Facing fraud charges, the embattled Visayan Forum Foundation Inc (VF) struck back at its accusers and filed perjury charges against them over an unprecedented case initiated by a US government agency.

On Thursday, February 21, VF filed at the Quezon City Hall of Justice a perjury case against its former bookkeeper Maria Analie Villacorte. According to VF lawyer Laurence Arroyo, the foundation also filed a petition to cite independent auditor Celestina Medina-Aguilar for indirect contempt.

The VF previously filed a perjury case against Aguilar.

Villacorte testified before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) that Cecilia Flores-Oebanda, VF’s president, instructed her and other employees to falsify receipts to justify VF’s expenses. This was in connection with up to P210-M (US$5.1-M) in allegedly misused donations from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Aguilar, for her part, conducted the independent audit that uncovered the alleged anomalies, and led to NBI’s raid on VF’s gated compound in Quezon City. It was VF that chose Aguilar’s firm, the Cavite-based BF Medina, from USAID’s proposed list of auditors. (Read: Visayan Forum: From US ‘hero’ to foe)

“The false testimonies executed by the auditor and former bookkeeper prompted the execution of a search and seizure warrant by the NBI at the VFFI office on Aug 30, 2012, and tarnished VF’s stellar reputation. This has caused VFFI to suffer great losses when it closed some of its intervention programs for human trafficking victim-survivors, domestic workers, and at-risk communities,” VF said in a statement released Thursday.

Rappler is still trying to reach the NBI for comment as of posting time.

USAID used to consider VF its leading Philippine partner against human trafficking, a $32-B illegal global trade that victimizes up to 2.4 million people annually, according to the United Nations. The US State Department even once named Oebanda as one of its “heroes” against human trafficking.

‘6 months, no case’

The NGO also said 6 months have passed since the “attack” against them, “but to this day, VF has received no complaint on the alleged case.”

“We humbly waited for 6 months to defend our dignity in the proper venues. It is unfair that we have been considered guilty and made to suffer losses by being judged in the court of public opinion,” VF said.

In an earlier interview with Rappler, the NBI said Oebanda herself ordered VF employees to come on “doctorate days” – that is, days for doctoring receipts – to falsify up to 35,000 documents. Sources from VF confirmed that such activities indeed took place, with one of them saying at least 10 of them falsified receipts every Saturday. (Read: NGO faked docs on ‘doctorate’ days – NBI)

The same sources said the controversy triggered various resignations, with up to 11 disillusioned staff members resigning upon learning of these anomalies.

VF, on the other hand, told Rappler that Villacorte appeared to have falsified the receipts, and wanted to escape prosecution by blaming her former superior. The group said the VF president knew nothing about the falsified receipts, which employees allegedly kept in 35 boxes seized by the NBI. – Rappler.com