OCTOBER 2003 VOL 1. NO.1
 

COA FILES GRAFT CASES AGAINST BF, MCF (part I)


If found guilty, former Mayor Bayani Fernando and his wife ---Marides Fernando --- shall be meted the death penalty for cases of plunder, Commission on Audit (COA) sources said.
The cases consist of:
• overpricing of public works projects
• overpricing of books and other school supplies
• illegal payment of consultancy fees to favored consultant
• rigged bidding of construction and other public works projects
• purchase of substandard construction materials

As of this writing, BF and MCF are facing 23 graft and corruption charges before the Office of the Ombudsman. Named co-respondents were the city hall department heads and members of the city council.

The cases were an offshoot of the investigation conducted by a special task force of the COA. The audit covered the period from 2000 to 2001. Due to the seriousness of the offenses, COA immediately recommended to the Ombudsman that the cases be heard immediately by the prosecuting arm of the government.

Members of the ALSA-KA, a local NGO, coordinated with COA and acted as the private complainants in the plunder cases.
According to COA, most of the anomalies were committed a few months before the elections of 2001. This made observers conclude that hundreds of millions of public funds were used by MCF and her team for partisan political activities during 2001 elections.
(LAK-BAYAN shall serialize these graft cases starting with its next issue)