SENATOR Francis Escudero is facing multiple complaints, including graft and technical malversation, over the alleged misuse of P352 million in public funds during his tenure as governor of Sorsogon from 2019 to 2022. Lawyer Marvin Aceron filed the complaints with the Office of the Ombudsman on Friday, citing findings from the Commission on Audit’s (COA) 2021 annual audit report on the Sorsogon provincial government.
Aceron detailed the COA’s findings, which form the basis of the complaints:
- P125.7 million in physically impossible, overlapping infrastructure contracts awarded to the same contractors with the same personnel and equipment.
- P15.4 million in national government funds—including P10 million in typhoon relief money—left unimplemented for as long as six years.
- P8.44 million in janitorial and laundry contracts supported by falsified documents, conflicting notarizations, and fabricated client references.
- P1.66 million in Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) disbursements with defective signatures, missing authorizations, and improper implementation by Board Members.
- P5.65 million in development projects improperly charged to the 20% Development Fund and outside the approved procurement plan.
- P195.7 million in unreliable Property, Plant, and Equipment accounts, including ghost assets and demolished structures still carried in the books.
“These are not mere accounting errors. These are deliberate acts that robbed the children of Sorsogon of their future,” Aceron stated. He expressed hope that the Ombudsman would demonstrate accountability and send a message that “public office is public trust, and betrayal of that trust will not be tolerated.”
The complaints also name members of the Bids and Awards Committee, acting provincial accountant Rena Garcia, and provincial general services officer Rosalina Hainto as respondents.
This is not the first time Escudero has faced scrutiny. Aceron also filed a complaint against him before the Senate committee on ethics regarding a P30-million campaign donation he received in 2022 from contractor Lawrence Lubiano, who has contracts with the government, a violation of the Omnibus Election Code.
metrosundaily
