Ex-Iloilo Rep. Syjuco indicted over alleged use of gov’t fund for poultry business

The Office of the Ombudsman has found probable cause to file graft and malversation charges against former Iloilo Rep. Augusto Syjuco Jr. over the alleged use of provincial funds to finance his poultry business.

In a resolution recently signed by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales, Syjuco was ordered charged before the Sandiganbayan with violation of Sections 3 (e) and 3 (h) of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices.

Section 3(e) of RA 3019 prohibits a public official from giving of unwarranted benefit, advantage, or preference to any party or causing any party, including the government, undue injury.

Section 3 (h) of RA 3019, on the other hand, prohibits public officials from directly or indirectly having financial or pecuniary interest in any business, contract or transaction that the government is entering into.

Syjuco was also ordered charged with malversation of public funds as defined under Article 217 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC).

According to the Ombudsman investigation, Syjuco, in 2000, entered into a P4.3-million contract with his own non-government organization (NGO) Tagipusuon Foundation, Inc. The fund, received from the Department of Agriculture (DA), was for the supposed implementation of a district-wide poultry breeding and production project.

The Ombudsman said Syjuco unilaterally chose Tagipusuon to implement the DA project without conducting a public bidding as required under Republic Act 9084 or the Government Procurement Reform Act.

Further, the Ombudsman said Tagipusuon entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Ilonggo Chickboy Corporation for the supply of chicks for the supposed project.

The Ombudsman said records obtained by its field investigators show that Syjuco was also the owner of Chickboy.

Aside from the lack of public bidding before the awarding of the contract, the Ombudsman said Tagipusuon also had no track record or declared experience to prove that it was qualified to carry out the project.

The Ombudsman further said that the contract also lacked a clear project statement, list of intended beneficiaries, cost estimates, time schedules, as well as monitoring and inspection requirements.

“Syjuco used these two entities (Tagipusuon and Chickboy) in bilking out public money from the treasury,” the Ombudsman’s resolution read.

Also ordered charged as Syjuco’s co-accused were DA former regional director Eduardo Lecciones and private individuals Mylene Villanueva of Tagipusuon and Antonio Rojas of Chickboy.

The Ombudsman said the actions of the respondents reveal “torrid signs of a criminal activity contrived clandestinely.”

GMA News Online tried to get a reaction from Syjuco but he has yet to respond to text messages as of posting time.

Syjuco, who was also former director general of Technical Education and Skills Authority (TESDA), is currently facing graft charges before the Sandiganbayan in connection with the alleged unauthorized awarding of P79.9 million worth of TESDA scholarship vouchers to seven local government units (LGUs), two private schools and the DA.

Based on the information of the cases filed by the Ombudsman in 2014, Syjuco awarded the scholarships despite lack of appropriation from the Office of the President and despite the fact that TESDA, during at that time, was suffering from budget deficit. —KBK, GMA News