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By Jefferson Antiporda, Reporter
GRAFT and corruption charges have
been filed against Insurance Commission chief Evangeline Escobillo
in connection with an alleged anomalous transaction the commission
had entered into last year.
In a three-page complaint
affidavit, forwarded by the employees of the commission to the
office of the Ombudsman Escobillo allegedly paid Comfac Corp., a
computer supplier, P10.596 million dated December 29, 2006, even
before the contract has been signed.
The employees added the payment
was made days before the contract was signed on January 12, 2007,
and was notarized on January 23.
It was also learned that the
voucher dated May 16, 2007, was not signed by the accounting head,
but was signed only by Escobillo, which showed that the latter was
favoring the said computer supplier.
The complainants also attached a
voucher dated December 29, 2006, which showed that the date was
altered, as evidenced by a “snow fake” just so the date would
jibe with the issuance of the P10.596-check payable to Comfac.
The tampered voucher, the
employees said, was already signed by accounting chief Amy Fahimno,
but with a warning: “Paid per instruction of the Commissioner and
subject to the final inspection of COA [Commission on Audit].”
Ms. Fahimno put a note on the
voucher because the transaction allegedly did not go through the
usual course of paper procedure.
“Normal procedure should first
pass the administrative and budget offices to make sure that the
deliveries are properly inspected,” the complainant said.
The complainants cited Section
105 of Presidential Decree 1445, which said that the public official
who “directed any illegal payment or disposition of fund is
primarily liable for the loss.”
PD 1445 Section 88 prohibits
advance payment on government contracts, except with prior approval
of the President, while Section 85 prohibits appropriation of fund
before entering into a contract.
When asked about the issue, IC
Employees Welfare Association president Laila Espineli admitted
having heard of the Ombudsman case against Escobillo and admitted
that that the morale of employees has been affected because of the
questionable transactions.
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