192 supposed recipients in Baclayon alone

The watchdog of government funds, Commission on Audit, may have exposed a large swindle involving livelihood money after supposed beneficiaries cried forgery when their names were listed in the list of recipients while several others were found to be long dead. Although there was no mention of an anomaly in the audit report, the COA was apparently taken for a ride when it wrote Baclayon Mayor Alvin Uy to furnish the office the complete address of confirmed residents who availed of the so-called “Livelihood Opportunities for Small-Scale Entrepreneurs” funded under the Priority Development Assistance Fund of Cong. Edgar Chatto of the first district who is now the Bohol governor. In a check with Provincial Administrator Alfonso “Ae” Damalerio, who was a close Chatto associate when he was first district congressman, the Capitol official said he has no knowledge about the fund assistance. It turned out that during Chatto’s term when the funds were allegedly disbursed, Damalerio was a member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan. But Damalerio had the document xeroxed for referral to Gov. Chatto.

The Post is expecting that other mayors in the first district who may have been victims of the racket will come forward and admit that they too received the same audit report from the COA central office. In an audit report, Susan Garcia, director IV of the Commission on Audit central office, said a team from the Special Audits Office, constituted under COA Office Order Nos. 2010-309 and 2010-327 dated May 13,2010 and May 8, 2010, respectively, is presently conducing government-wide performance audit on priority development programs and projects of the government implementing during Calendar Years 2007-2009. These programs in most cases, implemented by government agencies including the National Livelihood Development Corp. (NLDC). According to COA records, the NLDC disclosed that certain amounts were released to Kabuhayan at Kalusugang Alay sa Masa Foundation, Inc. (KKAMFI) out of the PDAF of then Cong. Chatto for the conduct of the project entitled “Livelihood Opportunities for Small-Scale Entrepreneur”.

BACLAYON RECIPIENTS

In Baclayon, the list of recipients where the supposed beneficiaries labelled as spurious contained 192 names for the town alone. Among the so-called beneficiaries were barangay officials led by barangay kagawad Sen Guingguing who was elected barangay captain in 2002. The barangay official said he was surprised why his name was listed as recipient while some barangay officials during his term was also on the list. Three of them, Montana incumbent Kagawads Orencio Jumang-it , Cresente Valeroso and Concordio Batilong, who were listed as beneficiaries cannot recall that they ever signed a document as found in the audit report. They also disowned the signature that appeared in the list as plain and simple forgery. In the case of Guingguing, like Jumang-it, Valeroso and Batilong, he also denied having signed the document and disowned the same signature as not his own.

The Sunday Post production manager, Frony Narisma who was Taguihon barangay captain in 2002 was also listed as another recipient. Shown the list that he was a beneficiary of the PDAF bonanza of Gov. Chatto, he decried that his signature was also forged. A barrio mate who was a barangay kagawad during his term as Taguihon barangay captain, identified as Paciencio Balo, was also found to be a victim of fictitious signature. In Taguihon, another individual listed as beneficiary was Eugenio Malimot. He was long dead. The biggest giveaway of what appeared to be a racket was the list of beneficiaries that included two known personalities in Baclayon who were known to be long dead. The names of Vicente Faller of Taguihon, Baclayon who died in 2008 and Vicente Real whose names were also found to have received the livelihood incentive. Real died in the 70’s. In the same audit report, it said, among the activities reportedly undertaken by KKAMFI was the distribution of Livelihood Technology Kits (Volumes E-V) to various individual recipients residing within the first district of Bohol with 192 recipients of Baclayon alone. These kits were distributed, according to the audit report, sometime during the period January 25, 2010 to January 28, 2010. In his letter to Mayor Uy, the COA said as a matter of procedure, the audit team, is confirming the receipt of items distributed by the implementing NGO. The COA also asked the mayor to confirm if the listed beneficiaries are residents of the town.