Ombudsman asks for SALNs of House ex-deputy secgen
The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the House of Representatives to provide the statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs) of former Deputy Secretary General Sofonias Gabonada Jr. in connection with its probe of anomalous public works projects.
Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla issued a two-page subpoena to House Secretary General Cheloy Garafil, asking for all available SALN copies of Gabonada, who served under then Speaker Martin Romualdez, saying it was a “matter of national importance.”
Romualdez resigned as Speaker in September last year amid massive street protests against the alleged conspiracy between lawmakers, public works officials and private contractors to siphon off millions of pesos from flood control projects that were either nonexistent or substandard.
‘Knows a lot’
Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano said Gabonada was crucial to the flood control investigation, saying he “knows a lot” especially in the preparation of the national budgets allegedly marred by irregularities.
“Let’s just say that Gabonada has deep knowledge,” Clavano said in a chance interview. “We want to know what is all in his mind and what he knows regarding the process that had been undertaken during the time of former Speaker Romualdez.”
Remulla himself disclosed on Monday that a subpoena for Gabonada’s SALNs had been issued.
According to Clavano, the Ombudsman’s ongoing investigation of the flood control anomalies “yielded a lot of information regarding him (Gabonada) and what he knows.”
“Where else can we get his name if not for statements, documents and other information relayed to us by … different agencies?” he said.
Flood control cases
In October last year, the Office of the Ombudsman said that it had uncovered a paper trail and bank transactions linking several high-ranking government officials to anomalous flood control projects.
On Nov. 18, the Ombudsman filed the first batch of flood control-related cases against former Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co, several former officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways and executives of construction company Sunwest Inc. over allegedly anomalous flood control projects in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, before the Sandiganbayan.
On Nov. 26, the Independent Commission for Infrastructure announced that seven more House lawmakers, apart from Co, were facing cases of plunder, graft, bribery and conflict of interest in the Ombudsman.
On Dec. 5, the Ombudsman filed graft and malversation charges against billionaire contractor Cezarah “Sarah” Discaya and eight DPWH officials over a P96.5-million flood control project in Davao Occidental that was fully paid but never built.
On Jan. 16, the body filed graft and malversation charges in the Sandiganbayan against former Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and six former Bulacan public works engineers and employees in an alleged conspiracy to pay for a nonexistent flood control project worth P92.8 million. —WITH A REPORT FROM INQUIRER RESEARCH
