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CHAIRMAN Camilo Sabio and Commissioner Ricardo Abcede of the
Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) are being accused
by a group of lawyers from the agency itself of illegal use or
technical malversation of funds amounting to P500,000.
The accusations are contained in a letter and
special authenticated documents obtained by The Manila Times from
the PCGG Special Legal Counsels which were sent to Senators Juan
Ponce Enrile and Richard Gordon and Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez.
In the letter, the acts of Sabio and Abcede were condemned, and a
certain Law Yanga, said to be Sabio’s chief of staff, was also
mentioned as involved.
The letter stated that Sabio, Abcede and Yanga
violated Article 220 of the Revised Penal Code when it diverted
P500,000 from the P4 million that was released on June 5, 2006, by
the Department of Budget and Management for the salaries and
allowances of the PCGG’s lawyers.
The lawyers said that on June 7, 2006, the PCGG
held an en banc meeting and approved to allocate and release the
amount exclusively to pay the salaries of the PCGG special legal
counsels and employees.
Immediately thereafter, Yanga reportedly wrote a
latter to Finance and Administration Department Officer-in-Charge
Nestor Palabrica asking for the immediate release of the amount of
P500,000 as cash advance for Abcede.
Yanga claimed in her letter to Palabrica that
the release was approved by Sabio who was then abroad.
“It was further indicated in the handwritten
note that the cash advance will be used for litigation and other
related expenses,” the lawyers said.
The group also castigated the continued stay of
Sabio despite the controversies hounding him.
“Until now we are still wondering why Chairman
Sabio is still in the PCGG despite the negative public perception
against him and allegations of corruption. We hope that this expose
will help you in your crusade to expose corrupt public officials,”
the lawyers said.
Sabio, in a telephone interview, merely said
“no comment.”
Abcede, however, said a mouthful and denied
receiving a single centavo. He said he only signed on behalf of
Sabio who was abroad at that time.
-- Francis Earl A. Cueto
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