Former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Bayani Fernando, now becomes Marikina City representative, is facing graft charges for receiving the alleged birthday cash gifts of P1.6 million—the questionable disbursements using Metro Manila Film Fest (MMFF) funds.
image credit: Philstar
Marikina City representative's co-respondents were MMDA assistant general manager Edenison Fainsan and former officials Leonila Querijero, Rolando Josef, Cleofe Ablog and Robert Nacianceno who served as the agency’s general manager and Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales said she had ordered the filing of 13 graft cases against Fernando and five other former MMDA officials for also violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Also, Ombudsman already instructed the dismissal and perpetual disqualification from public office of Fainsan and Querijero after it will found them guilty of grave misconduct and if they will be retired, they will face a money charge equivalent to their one-year salary, Morales said.
The Ombudsman found a special audit conducted by the Commission on Audit (COA) which had several irregularities in the disbursement of MMFF funds from 2003 until 2009.
These irregularities are the alleged P1.6-million birthday cash gift for Fernando, P11.8 million expenses for cultural projects and P10.8 million cash incentives granted for the MMFF executive committee.
The COA noted irregularities:
- Lack of official receipts issued by the local government units
- Absence of duly approved payrolls for the cash incentives
- Issuance of the checks for cash incentives in the name of Ablog and on a pay-to-cash basis
It was August 2009, Fernando admitted at the hearing of the Senate blue ribbon committee that he received the P1.6 million in birthday cash gifts from MMFF four times of his seven years term as the chairman of MMFF.
In a report, he received P500,000 each by 2003 and 2004, P100,000 in the year 2005 and another P500,000 in 2006.
Fernando responded that the P1.6 million was not a birthday cash gift for him but an “honorarium” given to members of the MMFF executive committee.
“We deserve to be given an honorarium for a job well done.” Fernando said to Inquirer. He also said that he believed the case against them would not prosper.
Source: Inquirer