By Moira Encina
Eagle News Service
(Eagle News) – The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has filed cases of plunder and graft against former Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson and 33 others, including former and current officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways region 12 and other private individuals.
This was in connection with a right-of-way alleged scam in General Santos City that had allegedly defrauded the government of at least P8.7 billion during the administration of former President Benigno Aquino III.
Singson and the 33 other DPWH former and current officials, as well as other private individuals, involved in the payment of compensation for road right of way scam in the construction of a highway in General Santos City, were charged before the Office of the Ombudsman.
“This Bureau respectfully recommends that the erring government officials and their cohorts be charged of Plunder with a recommendation of forfeiture proceedings; violation of Section 3(e) of RA (Republic Act) 3019 otherwise known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and administratively be charged for Grave Misconduct and Dishonesty,” stated a letter by NBI Director Dante A. Gierran dated March 20, 2018, to Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales.
Aside from plunder and graft, cases of grave misconduct and dishonesty were also filed against the officials involved.
Among those charged were an auditor of the Commission on Audit (COA) and an official of the Land Registration Authority (LRA).
The leader of the alleged syndicate, a certain Wilma Mamburan, and the group’s financier, a certain Nelson Ti, were also among those named respondents.
-Details provided by whistleblower –
The case stemmed from a letter by the alleged whistleblower Roberto Catapang to the Department of Justice which detailed the alleged collusion between the members of the syndicate and the DPWH officials in the right-of-way modus in General Santos City.
The NBI accused Singson and the other respondents of conniving with each other in approving the right of way claims for the parcels of land that were affected by an infrastructure project in General Santos City, even though fake land titles were used by the claimants.
The cases filed by the NBI were based on nine disbursement vouchers and claims that had used fake land titles.
These vouchers amounted to P255.55 million and were released in five tranches.
These were endorsed to Singson who approved the right-of-way claims that contained fake land titles and documents.
The NBI assured that there would be another batch of respondents who will be charged in the right-of-way scam that covers more than 200 claims.
The bureau said that it would also continue to investigate the possible involvement of former Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad, and former President Aquino’s brother-in-law, Eldon Cruz, in the same right-of-way scam.
-Previous denial by Singson-
Singson had previously denied the allegations and said that he never profited from the land claims.
“I was not a corrupt secretary and definitely not a plunderer,” he said.
He claimed that he authorized the payment of claims based on documents submitted by the DPWH regional 12.
According to Aguirre, the charges stemmed from the modus operandi of a syndicate that claimed compensation for the road right of way intended for land owners affected by the construction of a highway in General Santos City.
He said that in 2012, he had ordered a stop to the payment of claims if these were not validated by the Land Registration Authority (LRA).