PALAYAN CITY, Nueva Ecija, January 14, 2012-Gov.
Aurelio Umali denied allegations that the filing of graft charges against
Quezon Mayor Mariano Cristino Joson was politically motivated as claimed by the
Josons’ camp.
Speaking
to reporters at the provincial Capitol here, Umali said he could not be accused
by the Josons of playing politics in the graft charges filed before the
Ombudsman and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan against Mayor Joson.
“In
the first place, somebody filed the complaint against them, not me. So how can
they accuse me now of playing politics?” he said.
Earlier,
the Josons claimed Mayor Joson was a victim of political harassment.
Former
four-term governor Tomas Joson III said charges have also been filed before the
SP against San Leonardo Mayor Froilan Nagano, a close ally of the Josons, in
what he termed as an apparent “pattern to harass” mayors belonging to the
Bagong Lakas ng Nueva Ecija of the Josons.
Aside
from Mayor Joson, also charged before the Office of the Ombudsman were Quezon
municipal treasurer Anacleta Arucan, municipal accountant Rona Joson and
municipal budget officer Leilani Domingo.
The
charges, filed by former municipal accountant Ruperto Libunao, accuse the four
of alleged non-remittance of Government Service Insurance System premiums of
employees and unliquidated cash advances and disbursements worth at least P100
million.
A
preventive suspension of the four respondents is being sought by Libunao to
prevent them from using the powers of their office to influence the outcome of
the investigation.
Mariano
Cristino, a former vice governor, ran for governor against Umali in 2007 but
lost by landslide, ending the clan’s 48-year rule in the Capitol. He is the
husband of first district Rep. Josie Manuel-Joson who is running for governor
against Umali.
Umali
said he is inclined to issue a preventive suspension order against Mayor Joson
if only to send the message across that the Umali administration is serious in
running after anomalies in the local governments.
“I
am inclined to issue the suspension once the document is submitted to me by the
SP. It’s a measure the law allows to protect the integrity of the
investigation,” he said.
The issuance of
a preventive suspension order, Libunao said, shall preclude the possibility of
the respondents exerting undue influence on the complainants and witnesses and
the possibility of tampering of evidence considering that they are the heads of
their respective offices, having control and custody of the documents which may
be used against them.
Umali
said when he assumed as governor in 2007, he encountered a variety of problems left behind by the
previous administration, including the non-remittance of GSIS premiums for 10
years.
He
noted that his predecessor, Tomas III, entered into a memorandum of agreement (MOA)
with the GSIS which is detrimental to the interests of Capitol employees.
“In
fact, I wrote a letter to then GSIS president Winston Garcia that the MOA they
worked out with the provincial government was detrimental to the cause of
Capitol employees and I asked that it be re-visited. After four years, the new
Board of the GSIS looked into my plea and agreed with my findings. Now, they
are trying to re-do the MOA,” he said.
He
also said that during his first term as governor, he asked the SP then led by
vice governor Edward Thomas Joson to grant him authority to enter into loan
agreements to pay for the loans of the previous administration but this was
turned down.
“In
effect, I was asking then vice governor Joson to authorize me to enter into new
loans to pay for the loans the Josons incurred but I was not given authority,”
he said.
Earlier,
Manuel- Joson branded the alleged non-payment by the municipal government of
the GSIS premium contributions of employees as malicious.
She said the
municipal government has already forged a MOA with the GSIS wherein the municipality is
already paying for the GSIS premiums.
“In fact, the municipality of Quezon municipality of Quezon
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