The Office of the Ombudsman has dismissed the graft and administrative charges against former City of San Fernando Mayor Edwin Santiago and seven other officials over alleged misuse of COVID-19 relief funds for residents of the capital city of Pampanga.
“It is good that the cases were dismissed. These show that our bureaucracy [in San Fernando] is working and compliant with laws. In 2015, we got an ISO certification in procurement, accounting and disbursement. These transparency measures protected us in local government,” he said in a phone interview.Claims belied
Melchor Caluag, former chief of Barangay Dolores in the city, filed the cases against Santiago and the other officials on June 19, 2020, accompanied by then Local Government Undersecretary for Barangay Affairs Martin Diño, following an investigation by the city council into unspent COVID-19 response funds amounting to P20 million.
Caluag accused Santiago of procuring overpriced goods, such as rice, cans of sardines and thermal scanners. But “no report of any irregularities as found by the [city council] was presented,” the Ombudsman resolution said. “Verily, records show that the [Commission of Audit], after conducting six audits for the period 31 March 2020 to 31 December 2021, found that the office of respondent Santiago, representing the government of City of San Fernando, Pampanga, has zero notice of disallowance, suspension and charges, thereby belying complainant’s claim of overpricing and/or irregularities in the procurement made March 2020 to June 2020,” the resolution said.
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