Graft and other criminal complaints have been filed against Sen. Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero and several provincial officials before the Office of the Ombudsman after a private lawyer accused them of orchestrating ‘systematic corruption’ and financial irregularities amounting to more than P352 million during Escudero’s tenure as Sorsogon governor.
Atty. Eldrige Marvin Aceron filed the complaint on Friday, citing alleged irregularities flagged in the Commission on Audit’s (COA) 2021 report on the Sorsogon provincial government.
Aside from Escudero, the following provincial officials were also named as respondents for possible violations of Republic Act No. 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, as well as Articles 220 (Technical Malversation), 213 (Frauds Against Public Treasury), and 171 (Falsification of Public Documents) of the Revised Penal Code:
Members of the Bids and Awards Committee
Acting Provincial Accountant Rena Garcia
Provincial General Services Officer Rosalina (surname not indicated)
The provincial treasurer (name still to be determined)
The complaint was filed a month after Aceron also lodged an ethics case against Escudero at the Senate over alleged illegal campaign donations.
Aceron said the case involves purported irregularities and potential malversation totaling P352,679,063.46 in public funds during Escudero’s administration in Sorsogon.
Citing the 2021 COA report, he said auditors flagged eight questionable transactions, including:
P125,704,889.93 in ‘physically impossible’ overlapping infrastructure contracts awarded to the same contractors using the same personnel and equipment
P15,474,262.65 in national government funds, including P10 million in typhoon relief money, that were allegedly unimplemented for up to six years
P8,440,701.12 in janitorial and laundry contracts supported by purported falsified documents, conflicting notarizations, and fabricated client references
P1,655,400.00 in TUPAD disbursements with defective signatures, missing authorizations, and alleged improper implementation by board members
P5,654,955.90 in development projects allegedly charged to the 20-percent Development Fund but not included in the approved procurement plan
P195,748,853.86 in purported unreliable Property, Plant, and Equipment accounts, including ghost assets and demolished structures that remained recorded in government books
‘These are not mere accounting errors. These are deliberate acts that robbed the children of Sorsogon of their future. While families struggled through the pandemic, public funds were diverted, mishandled, or left to rot in government accounts,’ Aceron said in a statement distributed during the filing.
‘Moreover, 2021 is not an isolated year of malfeasance. The COA reports for 2022 and 2023 reveal the same pattern-qualified opinions on the province’s financial statements that persist to this very day,’ he added.
Reporters tried to get Escudero’s reaction on the matter, but he has yet to respond as of posting time.