Gov. Edgar Chatto Monday appeared irked about insinuations of a scam attending the distribution of livelihood kits during his incumbency as first district congressman. The Post bannered a story indicating a negative spin on the distribution of the kits in Baclayon after the newspaper found that several supposed recipients denied having received the kits. Even those long dead were listed as beneficiaries, the paper found. In a Capitol press release in answer to the Post banner story last week, it said barangay officials had received and duly acknowledged the useful livelihood technology kits funded thru the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of Gov. Chatto while he was first district congressman. Each kit contains volumes of books and modules as guides to self-sufficient agricultural production, animal raising and basic veterinary, aqua-culture, etcetera. In Baclayon, Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) president Tiburcio Batoy who is the captain of barangay San Isidro confirmed they got the kits. The Commission on Audit (COA) is confirming the receipt of the items as a usual procedure even if Chatto has his own parallel verification. In expressing surprise about the “scam report”, Gov. Chatto said the distribution of the kits was validated by his first district staff. He was also surprised that some allegedly did not receive the essential livelihood reference materials.

MAYOR UY REACTS

In his own reply to Susan Garcia, director IV of Commission on Audit (COA), Baclayon Mayor Alvin Uy practically contested Chatto’s claims that there was nothing irregular of the supposed delivery of the livelihood kits. The mayor said, per records available and per investigation, there were no kits distributed on the period alleged and that some of the recipients whom “we interviewed, denied receiving such kits.” In its own validation of the report, The Post learned that in Montana alone, barangay officials elected in 2002 that included Kagawad Sen Guingguing denied having signed opposite their names in the list of recipients. The other 2002 barangay officials who are incumbent barangay kagawads like Orencio Jumang-it, Cresente Valeroso and Concordio Batilong, also denied having received the kits much less signed their acceptance during the delivery. Guingguing, however, discovered, that about six packs of the livelihood materials were found dumped in a dark corner of the barangay hall but nobody bothered to inform them what for are those stacks of reference books.

In was only during the COA inquiry that the barangay officials expressed interest to verify what constitutes those stacks of books lying inside the barangay hall. In the same Capitol press release, it said the livelihood kit project was implemented by the National Livelihood Development Corporation (NLDC), a national agency, thru the non-government organization Kabuhayan at Kalusugang Alay sa Masa Foundation, Inc. (KKAMFI). A normal course of its mandate, COA sent verification letters to the mayors to confirm that the kit recipients are indeed their constituents. This is a process pursuant to the agency’s usual standard procedure. The COA, for example, also sent verification letters to the current provincial leadership on the transactions in the past administration. The livelihood assistance project verification is part of the present government-wide performance audit on priority development programs and projects implemented in previous years. In most cases, these programs were implemented by national agencies like the NLDC. Other Baclayon barangay officials confirmed the delivery for which they signed upon receipt of the kits, a number of them systematically distributed to the puroks according to kagawad Edito Toong of barangay Laya. Thankful to the former congressman and now governor for the livelihood kits, captain Carlito Toong also of Laya said they have kept one set at their barangay hall where their constituents can go for livelihood initiative reference.

Captains Bonifacio Narit of Libertad and Eliseo Bague of Landican said the kits have been an essential help to the folk who seek livelihood technical assistance. Captains Serecio Locot of San Roque and Adolfo Alo of Guiwanon as well as kagawad Ben Baco and former barangay treasurer Josefa Calibugan of Sta. Cruz, among many others, likewise confirmed the kit delivery, distribution and receipt. Chatto recalled that his then district congressional office assisted in facilitating the distribution of the kits which were recorded and documented. The verification letter from COA which is not an audit report did not say that there was any anomaly. Still, Chatto would like to make his own validation of the project as implemented in the First District during his congressional stint. The validation came amid persistent efforts of Chatto’s political opponents to discredit him.

NOT IN BACLAYON ALONE

With this paper (the Post stand by its story) put on the spot regarding allegations of a livelihood scam, it turned out that the distribution of the kits did not stop in the town of Baclayon alone. Several town mayors in the first congressional district confirmed receiving letters from the COA similar to the one received by Baclayon Mayor Uy which requested confirmation on the receipt of the items and whether the listed beneficiaries are residents of the municipality. Like the letter received by Uy, the other mayors said the COA letter was signed by Garcia of the Special Audits Office of the Special Services Sector of the COA. Last week, the Post broke the story on the COA audit on priority development programs and projects implemented during calendar years 2007-2009. Garcia revealed that NDC records showed that certain amounts were released to the Kabuhayan at Kalusugang Alay sa Masa Foundation, Inc. (KKAMFI) out of the Priority Development Assistance Fund of then congressman and now Gov. Chatto for the conduct of the project entitled “Livelihood Opportunities for Small-Scale Entrepreneurs”. Among the activities reportedly undertaken by KKAMFI was the distribution of Livelihood Technology Kits to various individual recipients residing within the first district with 192 recipients in most of the municipalities.

In the case of Baclayon, the kits were distributed sometime during the period from Jan. 25-28, 2010. Aside from Uy, the town mayors who confirmed receiving a similar letter from Garcia were Mayors Leoncio Evasco of Maribojoc, Jaime Jimenez of Dauis, Roberto Salinas of Catigbian, Nicanor Tocmo of Corella and Jasmine Balistoy of Cortes. Panglao Mayor Benedicto Alcala confirmed that he received a similar letter but found nothing irregular with the project in his town saying that the recipients actually received their kits. In his response to Garcia, Uy said that per records available and per investigation, “there were no kits distributed on the period alleged and that some of the recipients whom we interviewed, denied receiving such kits.” “More so, the list of recipients included unlikely names like Hon. Romulo Balankig, currently in his 2 nd term as Municipal Councilor of this town, Denia Gracia Uy, my lawyer-sister who is based in Manila who was definitely not in Bohol on the said period,” the mayor said. Uy also noted that the late Margarita Oppus and the late Magdaleno Lagura both died years before the alleged distribution of kits.

Former Taguihon barangay captain Sofronias Narisma also confirmed that at least two recipients in his barangay identified in the beneficiaries as Vicente Faller and Eugenio Malimot were long dead. The former barangay official also disowned the signature appearing in the list as his own. He also denied receiving the kit. In the case of the mayor, however, he confirmed that the listed names are all residents of Baclayon. For his part, Evasco said he initially considered evaluating the letter through the municipal auditor but reconsidered his decision saying that it would be better if the COA undertake the evaluation itself. “There is the possibility that the results of our investigation would be questioned on whatever grounds hence our decision is give it back to COA,” the mayor explained. Evasco refused to make a categorical statement but admitted he heard that some of those listed as beneficiaries did not receive the kits. In the case of Dauis, Jimenez said 12 barangay captains issued certifications that the recipients are residents of their barangays. The barangay captains who issued certifications that 11 of their constituents received the kits were those in Biking, Catarman, Dao, Bingag, Mayacabac, Poblacion, San Isidro, Songculan, Totolan, Tabalong, Tinago and Mariveles.

The COA letter did not give details on the signatories of the reports from the congressional office which was submitted to them and which became the basis for the request for confirmation from the mayors. Interviewed live over the top-rated radio program “Kwentas Klaras” last Monday, Chatto requested a copy of the letter from COA while disavowing any knowledge on the project. Tagbilaran Mayor Dan Lim said he was giving Chatto a week to clarify the issue but declined to give details on what he intends to do after his self-imposed deadline expires. A known political nemesis of the governor, Lim said Chatto should face the issue squarely instead of side-stepping it. (With reports from Ven Arigo)