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‘Politically motivated’ case, dismissed! – Matapos ibasura ng Sandigan Bayan ang pinaniniwalaang ‘may bahid pulitika’ na kaso ng malversation through falsification of public documents na isinampa laban kay dating Provincial management and audit analyst II at hepe ng pre-audit division na si Gng. Roselyn Dadivas-Constantino may siyam na taon na ang nakakaraan ay namumugto pa rin ang mga mata nitong isiniwalat noong araw ng Lingo (June 09, 2013) ang matinding paghihirap na dinanas dahil sa matinding pagkahiya at sakit ng loob, sa harap ng malalapit na mga kamag-anak at kaibigan, samantalang madamdamin namang nakamasid at nakikinig ang asawa nitong si Mayor Bong Constantino at abogado ng pamilya na si Atty. Camilo Dionio sa gitna ng isinagawang thanksgiving sa Malungon, Sarangani Province. Para sa mga karagdagang ulat at inpormasyon, bumisita lamang sa malungon.blogspot.com (Photo by JAZTIEN JUBELAG-Sapol News/ ipp) |
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Long-awaited justice - prevails! – Si Mayor Reynaldo ‘Bong’ Constantino habang taimtim na pinasasalamatan ang Maykapal at mga tumulong para makamtan ang makatotohanang batas kasunod ng pagpasawalang-sala ng Sandigan Bayan sa maybahay nito na si Gng. Roselyn, dating Provincial management and audit analyst II at hepe ng pre-audit division na ayon pa’y naging biktima ng may ‘bahid pulitika’ na pagpaakyat ng asuntong malversation through falsification of public documents, sa gitna ng isinagawang thanksgiving noong araw ng Lingo ( June 09, 2013) sa bayan ng Malungon, Sarangani Province. Para sa mga karagdagang ulat at inpormasyon, bumisita lamang sa malungon.blogspot.com (kuha ni JASTIEN JUBELAG-Sapol News/ ipp). |
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A gesture of profound gratitude - Mahigpit na kinakamayan ni Mayor Reynaldo ‘Bong’ Constantino bilang tanda ng labis na pasasalamat ang abogado ng pamilya na si Atty. Camilo Dionio (kanan) kasunod ng isang madamdaming pagsalita ng alkalde kaugnay sa mga kalungkutang dinanas ng asawang si Gng. Roselyn, dating Provincial management and audit analyst II at hepe ng pre-audit division, dahil sa ayon pa’y may ‘bahid pulitikang’ pagpaakyat ng kasong malbersasyon at pagpeke ng mga documento na ibinasura ng Sandigan Bayan matapos ang may siyam na taon, sa isingawang thanksgiving noong araw ng Lingo (June 09, 2013) sa bayan ng Malungon, Sarangani Province. Para sa mga karagdagang ulat at inpormasyon, bumisita lamang sa malungon.blogspot.com (kuha ni JAZTIEN JUBELAG-Sapol News/ ipp). |
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MALUNGON, Sarangani – MATAPOS ang may siyam na taon ay tuluyan ng binasura ng Sandigan Bayan ang kasong malbersasyon sa pamamagitan ng pagpeke ng mga dokumento (Malversation through falsification of public documents) na inihain sa korte ng mga pinaghihinalaang kalaban sa pulitika ng mga dating opisyales ng probinsiya, kasama ang maybahay ng kasalukuyang alklade ng bayan ng Malungon, Sarangani Province.
Sa ipinalabas na desisyon ni Sandigan Bayan Chairperson Tererisita V. Diaz-Baldos, na kasamang nilagdaang nina Associate Justices Napoleon E. Inoturan at Oscar Herrera Jr noong Hunyo 4, 2013 ay sinabi ng Hukuman na wala umano itong makita na sapat na dahilan para hatulan ng pagkakasala sina dating Sarangani governor Mike Escobar, provincial agriculturist Pat Sol, at Gng. Roselyn Constantino na dating provincial management and audit analyst II at hepe ng pre-audit division sa naturang lalawigan, basi sa mga ipinasang akusasyon at mga ebidensiya ng prosecution panel sa Korte.
“The Court finds that the prosecution has failed to establish beyond reasonable doubt, the guilt of all the accused under criminal case no 28329, and consequently hereby ACQUITS them all of said charge, and so the bonds posted be returned to them. And so therefore, the hold departure order issued against all the accused are also ordered lifted, and set aside,” ayon sa Sandigan Bayan.
Kasama na naakusahan si Ms. Constantino matapos umano itong lumagda para sa pagpalabas ng may P808, 173 na halaga ng pondo para sa isang proyekto ng El Gandang Multi-Purpose Cooperative, na ayon pa kay COA state auditor IV Helen M. Cailing ay naging kahinahinala dahil sa kakulagan ng mga nararapat na proseso at hindi pagkapareho ng lagda ng chairman ng nasabing kooperatiba kung ikukumpara sa nakita nitong perma ng namumuno sa mga naunang iprenisentang articles of cooperation and bylaws ng kooperatiba.
Sa naunang desisyon ng Ombudsman noong Hulyo 22, 2005 ay sinabi nito na naging matibay ang mga ebidensiyang ipinasa ng prosecution, bagay na hinatulan nito ng ‘guilty’ ang mga nasangkot na opisyales na agad namang umapila sa nakakataas na Hukuman sa Quezon City sa kauluhang Maynila.
Sa muling pagrerepaso ng kaso ay sinabi ng Sandigan Bayan na - “In the discussion of falsification, the court said the signature of Escobar and Sol has never been disowned by them, while with respect to the signature of one Besing Latam, the cooperative’s chairman, as per allegations stressed by COA Cailing that the latter’s signature in the vouchers appears to be different as compared from Latam’s signature in the articles of cooperation and bylaws,” the Court has observed that the advanced observation of Auditor Cailing has only remained to be an observation, for she has never met Latam nor has she seen him write. On this score, the Court has maintained its view that it is not the different signature of Latam that constitutes the alleged falsification, and ruled that the prosecution has not presented any shred of evidence to disprove that authenticity of resolution no. 03 and the project proposal, and so to show that the presented documents were indeed false.
Ayon naman kay Ms. Constantino na naging bahagi ng naturang tangapan ng pamahalaan mula noong taong 1993 hangang sa tuluyan itong mapaalis sa trabaho may kaugnayan sa naturang kaso noong June 20, 2005 ay - “The office order dated January 11, 2001 authorized me to act as an alternative signatory of provincial accountant Maria B. Camanay and it was only in this particular transaction that certain problem arose. Finding those submitted documents to be complete, I signed the voucher in behalf of Camanay, who during that time was out of the office.”
Sa gitna ng isinagawang cross examination ay sinabi din nito na bilang nasa pumapangalawang pwesto ay agad nitong nilagdaan ang mga papeles dahil na rin sa kautusan ni provincial accountant Maria Camanay – “to sign in her behalf if ever there were claims whose documents are found to be complete.”
Sinabi naman ni Escobar sa Korte na isang politically motivated ang naturang kaso na sadyang denisenyo para sa ikakasira ng kanyang administrasyon. ”I only discovered about the alleged irregularities in the financial grant not from any Audit Memorandum Memo or any notice sent by COA auditor, but only from a city-based radio station which simultaneously aired the matter for almost two weeks. So I believe that the instant case was politically motivated because the treasurer and budget officer were not included, while my co-accused Patricio Sol is widely known as close to me, and another co-accused Roselyn Constantino is a daughter in law of former Vice Governor Felipe K. Constantino who was a close political ally.”
Sa kaso naman ng malbersasyon ay sinabi ng Sandigan Bayan na – “it will be only committed either through a positive act of misappropriation or negligence by allowing another to commit such embezzlement. In line, the Court has ruled that the lone prosecution witness has failed to identify with definiteness, the person who encashed the check, saying that she did not see Besing Latam encash the check because she was not at the bank at the time – but at another instance was positive enough to say - that it was Latam who encashed it based on the face of the check. So finally, the Court finds itself compelled to state that no shortage was ever charged against the accused for which they were held accountable. The audit observation memorandum sent by Auditor Cailing to accused Escobar et all has only called attention to the perceived lapses in the observance of the prescribed accounting and auditing guidelines in the release of fund, but it was not at all meant to be a demand, as in fact it was not.
Gayon pa man ay malungkot na sinabi ni Mayor Constantino na bagama’t parehong naabsuwelto sa mga ibinatong mga paratang ang asawa nito at namayapang ama na si dating Sarangani vice governor Felipe K. Constantino, napakalaki naman umano ng pinsalang nagawa ng mga taong nasa likod nito na pilit ginagawa ang lahat para lamang makamtan ang masidhing pagnanasa na makapuwesto sa Capitolyo ng lalawigan.
Sinabi din ng alkalde na kasalukuyan na umanong pinag-aaralan ng pamilya Constantino kung nararapat bang magpaakyat ang mga ito ng kaukulang kaso laban sa mga taong sumira ng reputasyon ng kanilang angkan sa loob ng mahabang panahon. (Isagani Palma – MALUNGON INFORMATION OFFICE).