THE OFFICE of the Ombudsman has filed malversation and graft cases before the Sandiganbayan against six Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)-Soccsksargen personnel and seven private individuals over an alleged P491.93-million right-of-way (RoW) scam involving properties in General Santos City.
In a statement on Sunday, the Office of the Ombudsman said its resolution found prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty of conviction against former Regional Director Subair Saro Diron, former Assistant Regional Director Laureano B. Suan, Jr., and four other DPWH personnel.
Respondents face 18 counts of malversation of public funds or property through document falsification under Article 217 in relation to Article 171 of the Revised Penal Code, alongside 18 counts for violating Section 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
The criminal charges stemmed from three National Bureau of Investigation reports submitted in 2018 and 2019 following 2017 affidavits by witness Roberto S. Catapang, Jr. who admitted to syndicate collusion using fabricated documents to collect government payments, the Ombudsman said.
The DPWH technical working group in the region approved the disbursement of P491.93 million for 18 land parcels along the Digos-Makar National Road in Lagao, General Santos City, by unlawfully applying a 2009 appraisal rate of P3,500 per square meter to property takings dating back to the early 1990s to inflate claims.
Separately, the Ombudsman ordered the administrative dismissal from service of a former DPWH Soccsksargen legal officer. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking