Ombudsman to probe heavy equipment misuse

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

THE Office of the Ombudsman will look into the allegations that government-owned heavy equipments were used to construct the house of Iloilo Gov. Niel Tupas Sr.

Virginia Palanca-Santiago, assistant deputy Ombudsman for Visayas, said they will gather the facts surrounding the latest accusations against Tupas.

Santiago said they need to see the photographs and video footage of the province-owned dump trucks and bulldozer and grader owned by the Banate municipal government working in Tupas’ house at Brgy. Juanico, Banate.

Santiago said the use of government assets for private purposes is tantamount to misuse of government property and abuse of power on the part of an official.

She said they can initiate a formal investigation if they have enough evidence against the governor.

Tupas has denied using government-owned equipment to construct his house although he flipped-flopped in his earlier statements.

The governor initially told Ray Cabarles of RMN-Iloilo that the equipment have never come near his house.

Tupas later changed his tune when he told Regan Arlos also of RMN-Iloilo that he invited the drivers of the heavy equipment to snacks and coffee. This, after he was given copies of photos showing the Capitol’s heavy equipment working on his house.

Tupas said the truck team was working on a barangay road adjacent to his house.

Meanwhile, Capitol employees in-charge of dump trucks and heavy equipment have started finger-pointing.

Engr. Efren Datoon, a project engineer of the Provincial Engineer’s Office (PEO), said the green dump trucks in the photographs are indeed owned by the province but these are no longer used.

Datoon said they are now using yellow dump trucks which the provincial government purchased two years ago.

Datoon said he could not recall if they have road maintenance projects in Brgy. Juanico.

It was later learned that the drivers of the green dump trucks were Domingo Ferrolin and Ken Jun Enojas Jr.

Enojas said Engr. Francisco Boy Nobleza, chief of the PEO’s motor pool, ordered them to work on a barangay road in Juanico, 20 to 30 meters from Tupas’ house.

But Enojas could not recall when they were deployed and how long they worked on the said project. He is still looking for the records at the motor pool.

Enojas said the punong barangay of Juanico requested the road project.

But in an interview with Febe Morales of Aksyon Radyo, Nobleza denied Enojas’ claims saying he has no power to deploy trucks and other heavy equipments.

Nobleza said he is only in-charge of repairs and maintenance of these equipments.

Nobleza said provincial engineers assigned to the five congressional districts in Iloilo can order the deployment of heavy equipments.

He added that Dump Trucks Nos. 5 and 11 are detailed to the 5th congressional district which is the jurisdiction of Engr. Ananias Lago.

Nobleza said the trucks are not supposed to be in Banate which is in the 4th congressional district.

Tupas is running for congressman in the 4th district, reason why he transferred his voter’s registration and established a house in Banate.