Group files graft, usurpation of authority complaints vs BCDA exec

PAMPANGA, Philippines – The anti-crime group Citizens Crime Watch (CCW) accused the executive vice president of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) of usurpation of authority and violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act in a complaint it filed before the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC).

Named respondent to the complaint-affidavit filed by lawyer Raymund Palad, CCW legal counsel, was Aileen Anunciacion Roa Zosa, the BCDA executive vice president since February 2010. 

The CCW also accused Zosa of violating the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards of Public Officials and Employees and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the government.

The group alleged that Zosa held and performed the functions of the BCDA executive vice president “without any legal appointment.”

“She continues to receive salaries, benefits and emoluments to the damage and prejudice of the government, the BCDA in particular,” the complaint-affidavit said.

Citing the 2015 BCDA restructuring plan which was approved by the Governance Commission for Government Owned and Controlled Corporations (GCG) in its Memorandum Order No. 2015-07, the CCW said the BCDA’s “Office of the Vice President has long been abolished sometime in February 2016.”

It said the restructuring plan was made under then BCDA president and CEO Arnel Paciano Casanova.

“Despite the abolition of the Office of the Executive Vice President previously held by Ms. Zosa, she continues to receive annually salaries and benefits amounting to Five Million (P5,000,000.00) Pesos, and from 2016 to the present, the same would amount to roughly P15M paid by BCDA to Ms. Zosa” the complaint-affidavit stated.

The CCW said the acts of Zosa of receiving salaries and benefits “without legal authority to do so also amounted to dishonesty, grave abuse of authority and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the public, fraud against government and conduct unbecoming a public officer.”

Acting on the request of the CCW, the Civil Service Commission-National Capital Region (CSC-NCR) confirmed in a memorandum dated June 25, 2019 that the GCG approved in 2015 the BCDA’s restructuring plan that abolished the Office of the Executive Vice President held by Zosa.  Replacing that position were the newly-created posts of the offices for executive vice president for conversion and development, executive vice president for finance, and executive vice president for corporate services being held by different persons.

CSC-NCR Director IV Judith Dongallo-Chicano tasked Director II Imelda Banzon to “conduct an investigation into the matter.”

Reacting to the complaints, the BCDA described as “baseless” the complaints filed by the anti-crime group.

“The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) has yet to receive the alleged complaint by Citizens Crime Watch against BCDA Executive Vice President Aileen Zosa. The allegations are baseless because the position of Ms. Zosa as Executive Vice President is approved by the Governance Commission for GOCCs (GCG). Her position was never abolished as the BCDA Restructuring Plan was never fully implemented,” the BCDA said in its official statement sent through email.

“Her appointment has been duly approved and validated by the Civil Service Commission. Under Civil Service rules and regulations, an appointment shall remain effective until disapproved/invalidated by the CSC,” the state-owned entity added.

Rappler was also able to contact Zosa through text messaging. She said: “BCDA will issue statement, Please check.” 

A document obtained by Rappler showed that the GCG approved only on July 10, 2019 the BCDA’s request to discontinue the implementation of its 2015 restructuring plan. This, it said, is necessary for its important role in the national government’s “Build Build Build” infrastructure program.

The approval can be found in GCG Memorandum Order No. 2019-07.

Rappler obtained a photocopy of the memorandum order.

It states that the BCDA submitted new restructuring plan in December 2016 and in May 2017 and that all necessary documents were submitted to the GCG in May 2019.

Meanwhile, Palad said the CCW was demanding an answer from BCDA president and CEO Vivencio Dizon for retaining Zosa and continuing to pay her salaries and benefits despite the abolition of her position from 2016 to 2019. 

Dizon was recently appointed by Malacanang as Presidential Adviser for Flagship Programs and Projects. – Rappler.com