By Moira Encina
Eagle News Service
Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre linked former Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson and former Budget Secretary Florencio Abad to an alleged P8.7-billion right of way scam in General Santos City.
In a statement, Aguirre said Singson “apparently approved and requested the release of payment of fake RROW claims,” and Abad “apparently approved the release of payment for illegal RROW claims as requested by (Singson).”
Aguirre said this was based on documents submitted to the National Bureau of Investigation and on the sworn affidavit of a witness who was “personally involved in the criminal syndicate” which he said “started to operate from 2009.”
He said the witness, the existence of whom he learnt of from the NBI on Nov. 22, has been provisionally admitted to the Witness Protection Program.
According to Aguirre, members of the syndicate make claims before the DPWH for “’just compensation’ of (RROW) which are intended for rightful owners who were affected by national highway construction at General Santos City.”
For this, he said they would submit “fake titles in the name of non-existent persons” or in the name of people who are “not real land owners.”
“I was also informed that for the syndicate to accomplish these apparently criminal acts, several public officials from the (DPWH), Bureau of Internal Revenue, the City Assessor’s Office of General Santos, the Registry of Deeds, the Commission on Audit and the Regional Trial Courts have been identified by the said witness as having participated in the processing, approval and eventual release of payments to cover these dubious claims,” he said.
He said other persons named by the witness as being involved were a Wilma Mamburam, Col. Chino Mamburan, Merceditas Dumlao and Nelson Ti.
He said the “witness further revealed that Mr. Nelson Ti, the financier of the group is a close relative of Domingo Lee, Philippine Envoy to China, and is supposedly close to former President Benigno Aquino III.”
He said all in all, since it started to operate, the syndicate was “able to process more than 300 folders containing fake (RROW) amounting to more or less P8.7 billion.”
He said one claim for “just compensation” even amounted to P29 million.”
“Consequently, I have instructed the NBI to continue its case build-up in order to further strengthen the case which most likely will include several high ranking officials of the Aquino administration,” he said, as he urged “all persons who have personal knowledge” of the supposed scam “to come forward and to communicate what they know to help us.”
”If you are listening, we give you our solemn reassurance that we shall treat your information and identity with utmost confidentiality and we will place you under our (WPP). Let us all join hands to wage this war against corruption,” he said.