Ombudsman suspends QC barangay officials over disallowances, ‘ghost’ projects
MANILA — The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the preventive suspension of a barangay chairman and treasurer in Quezon City over unsettled audit disallowances in the release of barangay funds and alleged ghost projects.
The anti-graft body said the evidence of guilt against Barangay Quirino 3B (Claro) Punong Barangay Ronald Noga Tagle and Barangay Treasurer Richelle Ann Formanes Santillan was strong on the charges against them which include Grave Misconduct and Gross Neglect of Duty, noting that their continued stay in office “could prejudice the administrative proceedings.”
The case stemmed from a complaint by the Office of the Ombudsman’s Field Investigation Office into the financial irregularities and unsupported disbursements of barangay funds flagged by the Commission on Audit.
“Tagle, in conspiracy with Santillan, withdrew the savings of Barangay Quirino 3B (Claro) from 2018 to 2023 for non-existent or ghost projects,” the Office said, citing an excerpt from the five-page order.
According to the body, the Commission on Audit Quezon City Field Office issued numerous Audit Observation Memoranda (AOMs) and Notices of Disallowance from 2017 to 2020 after it cited deficiencies during its audit on the said barangay from 2017 to 2023.
Such deficiencies include the non-submission of required supporting documents, as well as irregularities in the utilization, documentation, processing of barangay fund, non-submission of supporting documents for such fund utilization, the anti-graft body said.
Procurement transactions worth P1.4 million in 2017 and 2018 were supposedly unsupported by complete documentation while undocumented disbursements of P15.9 million in 2020, P23.9 million in 2021, P17.6 million in 2022, and P17.8 million in 2023 allegedly lacked mandatory supporting documents.
Tagle and Santillan, the investigators alleged, authorized the release of P22.7 million in public funds without the required disbursement vouchers, resulting in notices of disallowance.
“Following an appeal, P431,813.14 in disallowances was subsequently lifted, leaving P22,281,549.98 unsettled,” the Office stated.
The Ombudsman’s office stressed the respondents’ “alleged failure to submit accounting records despite repeated COA directives and adverse audit findings.”
“Respondents’ administrative violation appears to be supported by evidence. The evidence on record shows that the guilt of respondents is strong, the charges against them involve Grave Misconduct, and Gross Neglect of Duty,” the Office said citing the order.
The order directed Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte to implement the preventive suspension immediately and inform the Office of the Ombudsman of its action within three days of receipt of the order.