by: Mel Rima
Virac, Catanduanes---49,548,000 in the 72 million plunder case against Catanduanes Governor Joseph C. Cua and several others docketed as CPL-C-11-0757 in the Office of the Ombudsman has been subjected to notice of suspension as per letter dated September 8,2011 signed by Commissioner Heidi L. Mendoza of the Commission on Audit.
Notice of suspension was issued after a team of examiners led by State Auditor IV Adela A. Tabuzo had completed the audit of transactions involving procurement of ten (10) units of heavy equipments, rehabilitation of Catanduanes Youth Center and the purchase of seventeen (17) units of computers amounting to 49,548,000.00, 20,000,000.00 and 2,606,000.00 respectively.
Romeo Camano, Assistant Provincial Assessor accused Cua and other ranking officials of buying second hand heavy equipments at prices that correspond to newly manufactured units and computers with acquisition costs of 153,290.oo per unit and selling scrap irons from a condemned building which were delivered directly to a junk shop in the vicinity of the capitol grounds without the benefit of public bidding.
In a related development, a female member of the local legislative council publicly known as paramour to a businessman-politician also pocketed hundreds of thousands from the scrap irons as evidenced in a haphazardly prepared receipt in bond paper issued by a local junk shop.
There are also reports that tons of scrap metals from the condemned building are in safekeeping in a farm lot in Sto. Cristo together with a sizeable portion of the stolen government properties in a warehouse at the back of her residential building in Barangay Gogon.
This profit-driven member of the Sanguniang Panlalawigan is a former employee of a national office who was convicted of slander by deeds but has amazingly done away with the punishment of perpetual disqualification from public office as shown in her undisturbed filing of certificate of candidacy that eventually led her to incumbent elective post.
A year ago, Camano was unceremoniously detailed to a northern town near a hundred kilometers from the capital town of Virac ' in the exigency of service ' but he took it as punitive gesture due to his strong opposition to Cua's wasteful spending of millions of people's money on projects of no beneficial effects to the public and to suppress dissent to the manner the chief executive is handling the affairs of the province.
Among matters of concern which Camano brought to the attention of the public prior to his transfer of assignment are padded payrolls in various departments in the local government and the 5 million unfinished building at the back of the Office of the Governor abandoned by a contractor masquerading as member of the Sanguniang Panlalawigan.
On April 11, 2011, Camano filed the complaint in the office of Ombudsman Merceditas N. Gutierrez and requested legal assistance to conduct immediate investigation of the plunder case resulting from misuse of public funds, grave abuse of discretion, gross ignorance of the law, harassment and suppression of the right to public information against Governor Cua, Provincial Assessor Merito T. Tarrago, Provincial General Services Officer Felipe C. Almojuela, Provincial Budget Officer Ireneo C. del Rosario and Provincial Accountant Sonia P. Villaluna who connived in perfection of a grossly illegal transaction involving 72 million of public funds.
Camano, in his letter dated November 28, 2011 also requested the imposition of preventive suspension against Gov. Cua and company for fear that the respondents' stay in office may prejudice the case filed against them. He also appealed for its speedy disposition.
Assistant Ombudsman Joselito P. Pangon of the Field Investigation Office informed Camano in a letter dated January 16, 2012 that the plunder case is at the stage of fact-finding investigation and the imposition of preventive suspension is yet unavailable but may be resorted to after an administrative case has already been filed.
Meanwhile, several National Bureau of Investigation teams from the regional office in Legaspi City and national headquarters in Metro Manila have been frequenting the island province purportedly to investigate and gather more evidence in support to the plunder case against Cua but appeared to be more on fund-raising expedition together with rest and recreation.
The NBI agents were frequently seen in a beach resort owned by one of the accused with women companions in pick up and closed van service vehicles which prominently display their identity in commemorative car plates bearing the name of their agency either purposely done to project an image of influence and power or display their stupidity in exposing their identity contrary to the common practice of being discreet as called for in their line of work as intelligence operatives.
In the same distinctive manner of fund-raising, a team of field reporters from a national television network in a mobile car complete with communication facilities came for an interview regarding the plunder case but months have already passed and yet nothing appeared in reports about their purpose in coming to the province.
And the saddest among other considerations is that some quarters are mocking the National Bureau of Investigation, Ombudsman and the Commission on Audit which they publicly accuse as prone to bribery, indicative that they have already had common understanding.
