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By Efren L. Danao Senior
Reporter
The committee on public works of
the Commission on Appointments deferred on Wednesday the
confirmation of Public Works Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane to give him
time to answer derogatory records in his service, including charges
of murder and graft, among others.
Rep. Conrado Estrella 3rd of
Pangasinan, the committee chairman, said his committee would conduct
another hearing on February 13 so Ebdane could prepare his defense.
The investigation conducted by
the committee showed that retired police Gen. Eduardo Matillano had
accused Ebdane of demanding 20 to 25 percent in commission for
contracts awarded during the latter’s stint as chief of the
Philippine National Police.
Ebdane swore on the grave of his
father that he had never demanded any centavo, much less 25 percent,
for the awarding of PNP contracts. Matillano was chief of the
Criminal Investigation and Detection Group under Ebdane.
Ebdane claimed that Matillano was
only getting back at him for his getting relieved as CIDG head.
The appointments commission’s
investigation report also mentioned the claim of one Rebecca Lopez
that Ebdane was responsible for the murder of her husband. Ebdane,
however, said Lopez had already withdrawn the case and gave Estrella
a copy of her affidavit of desistance. Estrella said that his
committee’s efforts to locate Lopez at her last known address
proved futile.
Ebdane also has cases of murder,
kidnapping, plunder, arbitrary detention, perjury, grave misconduct,
graft and violation of the Solid Waste Management Law pending before
the Office of the Ombudsman.
The Road Users Tax Association
also opposed Ebdane’s confirmation for the alleged misuse of the
road users’ tax. Sen. Richard Gordon said that Ebdane’s role in
the disbursement of the road users tax was not explicit. He said
Ebdane might not have a hand on how to use the tax. The opposition
had claimed that the tax was used in the previous elections and
demanded an accounting.
Gordon said he would seek more
details from Ebdane about the Lopez and Ombudsman cases at the next
confirmation hearing.
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