Cabanatuan City vice mayor ordered dismissed for repacking relief goods

The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the dismissal from the service of Cabanatuan City Vice Mayor Emmanuel Antonio Umali over the alleged unlawful repacking of relief goods from the Department of Social Welfare and Development to make it appear it came from his political party in 2016.

A decision signed by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales on April 6 found Umali administratively liable for grave misconduct, grave abuse of authority, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

The Ombudsman also dismissed Councilors Gabriel Calling and Johnero Mercado; Barangay Chairmen Ramon Garcia and Richard Medina; and city government officials Leoncio Daniel, Emelita Muyot, Fannie Bugayong, Lutgarda Domingo, Teresa Castelo at Irenfa Palma.

Accessory penalties of cancellation of eligibility, forfeiture of retirement benefits, bar from taking the civil service examinations, and perpetual disqualification from holding public office were meted against the 11 respondents.

The case stemmed from the complaint filed on June 30, 2016 by Josephine Libunao.

Libunao said Umali and his co-accused repacked the DSWD relief goods and distributed them in a gift-giving activity in Barangays Camp Tinio, Macatbong, Bagong Buhay, San Roque Sur, and MS Garcia to advance their political interests in the May 2016 elections.

She submitted photographs and screenshots of Facebook posts showing the repacking of relief goods from DSWD marked boxes to white plastic bags without the DSWD label.

The Ombudsman said there is enough evidence to prove that Umali and his co-accused unlawfully redistributed the relief goods to their supporters since the repacking made it appear that it was not sourced from DSWD.

"While they claimed that the relief goods distributed at the event were not sourced from DSWD, they presented no evidence to show that they sourced from elsewhere or purchase the goods themselves," the decision read.

The Ombudsman also noted the campaign shirts worn and speeches given by the respondents during the gift-giving activity which it said gained their political party extra mileage at the expense of victims of natural calamity.

"Considering that the gift-giving activity was scheduled just before the 2016 local elections, such event gained said respondents extra mileage over their political rivals at the expense of the government," the Ombudsman said.

"Respondents' actions were performed during a time of calamity, thus, any act to deprive others, no matter how few, or much-needed assistance when the same has already been provided by the government can only be considered cruel and severe," it added.

The Ombudsman dismissed the administrative case against former Nueva Ecija Governor Aurelio Umali and eight other for lack of jurisdiction since they were no longer in public service.

The Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for Luzon, however, found probable cause to indict Umali at the Sandiganbayan for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and the Philippine Disaster Reduction and Management Act. —NB,GMA News