Sandigan affirms suspension of COA officials in Macapagal road mess

MANILA, Philippines - The Sandiganbayan affirmed the preventive suspension orders it imposed on four auditors from the Commission on Audit (COA) indicted for graft over a P1.1-billion road project. In a two-page resolution issued Tuesday, the antigraft court's First Division denied the motions for reconsideration filed by COA auditors who were ordered suspended over their alleged involvement with alleged anomalies relative to the P1.1 billion President Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard project. The COA officials whose suspension orders were affirmed are: • Manuela dela Paz, state auditor V; • Benilda Mendoza, supervising technical audit specialist; • Jose Capistrano, technical specialist II; and • Ma. Cecilia dela Rama, technical audit specialist I. The four were indicted along with officials of the Public Estates Authority (now Philippine Reclamation Authority) for allegedly derauding the government by padding the cost of the road project by as much as P630 million. In their motions for reconsideration, the four COA auditors took exception to the intent of the suspension order noting that they are not in any position to affect the investigation of the case or to influence potential witnesses against them since they do not report to PRA office. They also sought humanitarian consideration saying they are sole "breadwinners and their suspension would result in acute penury" for their families. In denying the appeal, the Sandiganbayan upheld the prosecution's argument that the ability to influence the investigation is only one of the grounds and its absence will not affect the validity of the suspension order. "As to the second argument, the court’s hands are unfortunately tied by the Supreme Court’s directive that it is the ministerial duty of the court to order the suspension of the accused pendente lite once the information charging a violation of R.A. 3019 (Anti-Graft Law) is found to be sufficient in form and substance and that there are no ifs and buts about it," the First Division stated. Aside from the four who sought for reconsideration, also suspended by the court from COA were technical services division chief Arturo Layug and asst. chief of technical services Epifanio Pureza. In a report to the court dated August 29, PRA chairman Ramon Revilla said he has already implemented the order against PRA-deputy general manager for finance and legal administration Theron Victor Lacson, asst. gen. manager Jaime Millan, technical services department manager Bernardo Viray, project management officer Raphael Pochollo Zorilla and legal department manager Cristina Amposta-Mortel. Project contractor Jesusito Legaspi, president of JD Legaspi Construction was also indicted as private defendant. - GMANews.TV