‘Probe airport execs for P590M lot buy’

Businessman Crisologo Saavedra (from left) shares a light moment with Land Transportation Regulatory Board Regional Director Ahmed Cuizon and Movement for Livable Cebu lead convenor Marc Canton during a forum in Cebu City on Tuesday.
CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA

GRAFT COMPLAINT FILED AT OMBUD

Businessman and whistleblower Crisologo Saavedra filed another round of complaints against several former and current officials of the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA), along with seven private individuals, accusing them of pocketing P590 million which was intended for a land purchase for the Mactan airport.

Saavedra in his complaint, which he submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas, said that the five MCIAA officers and seven private individuals allegedly connived to divert the P590 million for personal use instead of payment of a lot situated in Lapu-Lapu City.

He also requested the Ombudsman to file criminal and administrative cases against the respondents of the complaint for violating Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act; Presidential Decree 1445 or the Government Auditing Code of the Philippines; plunder; and for reportedly conspiring a syndicated estafa.

Saavedra, in his complaint, accused Engineer Paul Villarete, former MCIA general manager; Engineer Pericles Dakay, former member of the MCIAA board of directors; lawyer Glenn Napoli, MCIAA assistant general manager; lawyer Cyril Apao, MCIAA legal officer; and Venus Casas, MCIAA accounting manager.

Villarete is now the city administrator under the Cebu City government, while Dakay, owner of Dakay Construction, chairs the Philippine Construction Authority.

CDN tried to contact Villarete through his phone, but he could not be reached for comment. CDN also sent him a text message asking for his reaction to the complaint, but as of press time, he had not given a reply to the text message.

Private individuals, who are also co-respondents in the complaint, are Anatalia Booc, Eduarda Patalinghug, Maximo Patalinghug, Juana Maranga, Apolono Maranga Jr., Virginia Samonter and lawyer Junjie Manda.

Saavedra told Cebu Daily News through a phone interview that the management of MCIAA failed to obtain an order from 20th Division of the Court of Appeals (CA) to instruct the Register of Deeds of Lapu-Lapu City to transfer the name of the land title No. Ro – 3632 to MCIAA.

“After you secure the court order and have the title transferred, then you can pay. That’s the law, but they already did an advance payment. It was neglectful of them to pay in advance without securing a court order, which means that they have the intention to divert the money,” claimed Saavedra.

In his complaint, he attached an Audit Observation Memorandum (AOM) from the Commission on Audit (COA) dated last June 23 as evidence that the MCIAA made the payment without directions from the court.

The COA’s AOM noted such decision from the MCIAA management as a deficiency or error in their part for not acquiring the necessary documents and orders needed before the purchase of the lot Ro – 3632.

“This is really disadvantageous to the government because we are talking about P590 million worth of taxpayers’ money. It’s wasted and now in the hands of those who misappropriated them.” Saavedra said.