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QC lawmaker to face trial over 'pork'

ABS-CBN News

MANILA - Quezon City Representative Vincent Crisologo will be tried for graft and malversation in connection with his alleged involvement in the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam.Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales has found probable cause to file the charges against Crisologo, representative of the city&#x27;s first district, for 2 counts of violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act No. 3019), 2 counts of Malversation and 2 counts of Malversation thru Falsification of Public Documents.“[Crisologo] is after all, accountable for the funds because he has control, if not actual custody of the funds, as these funds cannot be released without his consent and directives,&quot; said Morales in the resolution.The resolution also said the lawmaker &quot;treated his PDAF as if it were his own funds, dictating how it should be utilized and released.&quot;Charges were also ordered filed against Crisologo&#x27;s &quot;co-conspirators&quot; in the Department of Social Welfare and Development: - former Secretary Esperanza Cabral, - Undersecretary Mateo Montaño, - Lualhati Pablo, - Leonila Hayahay, - Vilma Cabrera, - Pacita Sarino; and - Cenon Mayor, President of Kaloocan Assistance Council, Inc. (KACI).The anti-graft agency said DSWD officers &quot;did not even bother to conduct a due diligence audit on KACI and its suppliers,&quot; and accepted Crisologo&#x27;s and KACI&#x27;s representation to undertake the projects &quot;in contravention of existing procurement laws and regulations.&quot;Montaño, Cabrera and Sarino were found guilty of Grave Misconduct, Serious Dishonesty and Conduct Prejudicial to the Best Interest of the Service. They were ordered dismissed from the service with the accessory penalties of perpetual disqualification from holding public office, cancellation of eligibility, forfeiture of retirement benefits and bar from taking civil service examinations.The Office of the Ombudsman said an investigation found that Crisologo requested the Department of Budget and Management to release P8 million for the implementation of his PDAF-funded Comprehensive Integrated Delivery of Social Services (CIDSS) program to be coursed through the DSWD as implementing agency, and KACI as the NGO-partner.The project was supposed to consist of medical/hospitalization assistance, transportation, calamity, death, burial, educational expenses, small-scale livelihood, socio-cultural expenses, small-scale infrastructure assistance and values training. However, it was found that KACI falsified receipts and that the beneficiaries of the financial assistance included coordinators and political supporters of Crisologo. The Ombudsman said it also obtained affidavits of alleged beneficiaries who denied receiving any burial or financial assistance and denied that the signatures appearing on the vouchers were theirs. Representatives from the National Children’s Hospital also said no free medical or dental mission was conducted in October 2009, contrary to claims of the respondents. KACI’s main supplier, Silver A Enterprises, was also found to not be a registered business entity.The Ombudsman said Crisologo failed to show that he exerted earnest efforts to ensure that KACI liquidated the tranches of the funds which “could only mean that he benefited from the transaction or that he was grossly negligent.”

Quezon City Representative Vincent Crisologo will be tried for graft and malversation in connection with his alleged involvement in the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam.

Quezon City Representative Vincent Crisologo will be tried for graft and malversation in connection with his alleged involvement in the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam.