Ipinasisibak ng Office of the Ombudsman si dating Cibac partylist representative at ngayo’y Senator Joel Villanueva, kaugnay ng umano’y maanomalyang paggamit ng Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) o pork barrel noong kongresista pa ito.
Ayon kay Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, napatunayang guilty si Villanueva sa kasong grave misconduct, serious dishonesty at conduct prejudicial to the interest of the service.
Ang usapin ay nag-ugat sa umano’y maling paggamit ni Villanueva sa kanyang P10 milyong pork barrel fund noong 2008.
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Dahil dito, inatasan ng Ombudsman si Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III na ipatupad ang dismissal order kay Villanueva.
Kaso pa
Sa hiwalay na usapin, kinasuhan din ng Ombudsman si Villanueva ng 2 counts ng paglabag sa Section 3(e) ng Republic Act 3019, malversation of public funds at malversation thru falsification of public documents.
Bukod sa senador, sinampahan din ng kaso sina dating Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Arthur Yap, Ronald Samonte na staff ni Villanueva, Delia Ladera ng DA, NABCOR representatives Alan Javellana, Romulo Relevo, Ma. Julie Villaralvo-Johnson, Rhodora Mendoza, at Maria Ninez Guanizo; at si Aaron Foundation Philippines, Inc. (AFPI) President Alfredo Ronquillo.
Sa rekord ng kaso, ginamit ang nasabing halaga ng PDAF allocation ni Sen. Villanueva sa pagbili ng seedlings ng pechay, radish, sitaw, okra, hybrid yellow corn, liquid fertilizers at threshers mula sa MJ Rickson Trading Corporation para sa mga residente sa Pantukan, Nabunturan, Tambongon, Bongabong, Napnapan, Mipangi, Anislagan at Magsaysay sa Compostela Valley province.
Sa pagsisiyasat ng Ombudsman, walang sinuman na nasa listahan ng mga benipisaryo ang registered voter o residente sa lugar.
Kinumpirma rin mismo ng mga lokal na opisyal na walang agri-based livelihood projects na naipatupad ang AFPI.
“Laws and regulations were disregarded by public respondents when Villanueva directly selected NABCOR and AFPI to implement his livelihood projects and the IA officers accepted and accommodated Villanueva by facilitating the processing and approval of the PDAF releases. NABCOR officers did not even bother to conduct a due diligence audit on AFPI as to its technical and financial capability and simply accepted and relied on the representation of Villanueva and AFPI to undertake the projects in contravention of existing procurement laws,” paliwanag pa ni Morales.
Sa Ethics committee muna
Samantala hihintayin muna ni Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III ang desisyon sa isinumiteng motion for reconsideration ni Villanueva.
Ayon kay Pimentel, ipapasa muna niya sa Senate Ethics Committee ang kaso ni Villanueva habang hinihintay pa ang desisyon sa mosyon.
Pero iginiit naman ni Committee chairman at Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III na “debatable” sa ngayon ang kaso ni Villanueva dahil nangyari ang sinasabing krimen noong ito ay isang kongresista.
Aniya, ganito rin ang kaso ni Senator JV Ejercito na pinapasuspinde ng anim na buwan ng Ombudsman dahil sa maanomalyang pagbili ng mga armas, gamit ang calamity fund ng San Juan noong alkalde pa lamang si Ejercito.
Luma na ‘yan
“This is an old case when I was a representative of CIBAC in Congress. As far as I can remember, as a minority congressman then, I did not receive that amount. In addition, the NBI has already made a conclusion that the signatures on the related documents were forged. One of the documents even used a Buhay party-list letterhead, when I was representing CIBAC party-list. I already filed a motion for reconsideration before the Ombudsman, and will leave it to the Senate President to act on the Ombudsman’s order. In any case, my faith is strong in the judicial system and in time, justice will be served,” ani Villanueva na nagsabing nakapaghain na siya ng motion for reconsideration sa Ombudsman. (ROMMEL P. TABBAD, LEONEL M. ABASOLA at JUN FABON)
