Clark Wine Center

Bldg 6460 Clark Field Observatory Building,
Manuel A. Roxas Highway corner A Bonifacio Ave,
Clark Air Base, Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga, Philippines 2023
Clark, Pampanga: (045) 499-6200
Mobile/SMS: 0977-837-9012
Ordering: 0977-837-9012 / 0917-520-4393
Manila: (632) 8637-5019

Pampanga fishermen ask COA: Take our names off beneficiary list

 

 

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Philippines—“Please take our names out of the list.”

Arnel Cunanan, Teody Salarda, Gerry Viray and several fishermen in Masantol, Pampanga, on Monday aired this appeal to the Commission on Audit (COA).

They made the appeal as whistle-blowers identified a nongovernment organization (NGO) in their area as among those that implemented alleged ghost projects funded by proceeds from the Malampaya gas fields off Palawan and facilitated by Janet Lim-Napoles.

Cunanan’s group asked the COA to clear it of any criminal liability, saying it was not a beneficiary of the so-called Farming Yield Emergency Contingency Project in 2009 by the Kaupdanan para sa Mangunguma Foundation Inc. (KMFI).

KMFI was among 20 NGOs within the network of JLN Corp., the company of Napoles. JLN Corp. was also linked to the misuse of pork barrel funds of a number of senators and members of the House of Representatives.

In Central Luzon, except in Zambales province, 17 NGOs were shown to have been paid P172 million for 22 projects. Several of them proposed 22 projects worth P172.5 million.

Four projects were supposedly implemented in Masantol, Macabebe and San Luis towns in the province’s fourth district and Guagua town in Pampanga’s second district. Each project was worth P7.5 million.

Dr. Anna York Bondoc, former representative of the fourth district, said the projects did not pass through her office and were not requested by her office.

Former Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo could not be reached for comment on Monday about the lone project in the second district.

Forged signatures

“We have not heard of this NGO or met their leaders. Other NGOs contact us and work with us, but KMFI did not,” Cunanan said on Monday.

Cunanan said his group learned about the project only when the COA sent it a letter, dated July 13, 2012, for a “sectoral performance audit on the receipt and utilization of Malampaya funds during [calendar years] 2002-2011.”

Cunanan said a page that COA had attached to the letter showed the names of the beneficiaries and the villages where they live. “But our signatures were forged. Those were not our signatures,” he said.

Viray said he told COA officials in December last year that his group did not get any agricultural input package consisting of a heavy-duty sprayer, organized container, farming paraphernalia, gloves, seeds and seedlings worth a total of P35,781.

“And if they were giving us those, we would have rejected them because we have no farmlands. We have no agrarian reform communities in Masantol. All that we have in the town are fishponds,” Viray said.

Salarda said he feared that he and the others would be held liable for the ghost project.

“We don’t want to be jailed. Our names were used. If we are thrown in jail for something we have no knowledge of, our families will surely suffer,” he said.

Mayors’ denial

Former Masantol Mayor Peter Flores said he did not know that such a project was implemented in the town.

The whistle-blowers said the four ghost projects in Pampanga were paid on Dec. 23 and 29, 2012.

Aside from KMFI, the other NGOs involved were Gintong Pangkabuhayan Foundation Inc. and Agricultura para sa Magbubukid Foundation (AMFI). AMFI proposed a P5-million project for Guagua under a P1.5-billion package.

In separate telephone interviews, former Mayors Leonardo Flores of Macabebe, Jay Sagum of San Luis and Ricardo Rivera of Guagua said they neither knew about the projects nor received anything for the farmers or for themselves.

In Aurora, former Baler Mayor Arthur Angara said he would ask local officials to check the town government’s files to confirm if Micro Agri Foundation indeed implemented a P5-million project in the town.

Agrarian Reform Secretary Virgilio de los Reyes said the COA had not sent the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) a final report on its audit of the Malampaya funds allotted to the agency.

Agrarian Reform Assistant Secretary Teofilo Inocencio, then director of DAR in Central Luzon, said the Masantol project was “not coordinated” with the regional office.

In Pangasinan, Binmaley Mayor Simplicio Rosario denied receiving P10 million supposedly released by DAR, through an NGO, to his town in 2009.

Rosario said the COA wrote him before his term ended in 2010 about the fund. But he said he was surprised to learn about it because he did not receive the amount, which was supposed to have been released through Tanglaw para sa Magsasaka, an NGO.

He said he later found out that his signatures on the documents were forged. “How could I have signed a supposed memorandum of agreement without an authority from the Sangguniang Bayan?”

Not official letterhead

Rosario said the letterhead used in one of the documents was not the same as the official letterhead that he was using in his office.

“I have submitted an affidavit to COA at that time, telling them that we did not receive that amount,” Rosario said by telephone on Monday.

Former San Manuel Mayor Salvador Perez also denied receiving P10 million from an NGO called Kaupdanan para sa mga Mangunguma during his last term in 2009.

Perez, now the town’s vice mayor, said the COA also sent him a letter inquiring about the fund. “When I saw the attachments, I found out that my signatures were forged,” Perez said by telephone.

But he said his town was a recipient of various farm inputs and implements from then Pangasinan Rep. Conrado Estrella III.

In Ilocos Norte, former Dumalneg Mayor Francis Espiritu said he learned about the issue when the COA wrote him in 2009, asking him to explain if they had received funds from the pork barrel of former Ilocos Norte Rep. Roque Ablan Jr.

Espiritu, now the vice mayor of Dumalneg, said that his town did not receive pork barrel funds and that his signatures were forged.

More signatures forged

In Bulacan, Sta. Maria Mayor Bartolome Ramos said representatives of several NGOs and foundations approached him on several occasions in 2009 offering the town agricultural grants but he rejected them.

He said the Office of the Ombudsman called his attention after documents showed that he supposedly endorsed the fund requests.

Ramos said his signature was forged.

“What I know is that at least six towns in Bulacan faced the same problem, where the signatures of the mayors were forged to access the grant…. We have learned that our colleagues in Pampanga also faced a similar situation,” he said.—With reports from Yolanda Sotelo, Gabriel Cardinoza and Leilanie Adriano, Inquirer Northern Luzon; and Carmela Reyes-Estrope, Inquirer Central Luzon

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Manila residents and tourists spending a vacation in Philippines prefer to travel out of town from Manila to the north to visit Subic, Pampanga, Angeles City and Clark Philippines.  While many areas of the Philippines are plagued by crime and security concerns, Clark Pampanga continues to impress the travel and tourism observers with its immaculately low crime records.  Other features of Pampanga Angeles City Clark that attract family tourists and those visitors that are health sensitive include low pollution, peace and quiet ambiance and a most welcome absence of traffic congestion.

Yats Restaurant is one of the good restaurants in Pampanga, a restaurant with good food, a place that is nice for celebration, ideal for business dinner meeting, a good place to enjoy family reunion, and an attractive restaurant that serves good wines for dinner.

 

Families with small children prefer outdoor resort in Manila clean and safe place in Pampanga Clark to bring kids to relax and unwind.  Family bonding is much more effective and enjoyable in a private resort that offers large outdoor facilities, picnic grounds, beautiful scenery, peaceful and quiet ambience.

 

Many are selling off their assets to start a new life in Philippines, taking advantage of the standard-of-living differential to start a business or just enjoy living in a tropical country.  With careful planning, the move to Philippines can work out brilliantly or it can be a painful mistake.  Clark Pampanga has been the preferred destination for retirement also.

 

You might want to check also the Yats Restaurant is the best restaurant for special dinner, best restaurant for dinner with friends near Manila, also the best place to celebrate special events.

 

Are you looking for an attractive restaurant or a nice place to eat with friends in Clark, Angeles City Pampanga? Yats Restaurant and Wine Bar is a restaurant with good food and good wines  for dinner located at Clark Angeles City Pampanga. Perfect for exclusive dinner venues for groups, recommended for private dinner in Philippines. A Restaurant in Clark for business dinner meeting. Private dinner place or dinner restaurant in Clark Subic Near Manila Angeles City Pampanga. Yats Restaurant is one of the Good Restaurant in Pampanga Angeles City Clark near Manila.

 

Famous Restaurant in Pampanga, a place to dine with friends in Clark, cozy restaurant with a nice ambience, a nice function place for special occasions

 

Looking for a party venue in town?

Clearwater Resort and Country Club is one of the ideal venues for birthday party because it is a risk free venue. Not only Birthday Parties but also a good place to enjoy family reunion. A good place to celebrate special occasions. Clearwater Resort and Country Club is one of the resorts in Subic Clark Angeles City Pampanga or near Manila with activity amenities, place that are nice for celebration.

 

This web site contains articles and information that will be helpful to visitors, residents and tourists traveling out of town from Manila on a short getaway to Subic, Angeles City, Pampanga and Clark Philippines.  There are several web sites that contain information that might also be pertinent to what is happening in North Luzon, Subic, Tarlac, Pampanga, Clark Freeport Philippines.

 

Looking for interesting hotels near Manila Subic Clark Angeles City Pampanga?

Trouble free hotels and well recognized hotels in Subic Clark Angeles City Pampanga

Clearwater Resort and Country Club offers a good place to stay in Subic Clark Angeles City Pampanga. In offers nice place to have rest in Subic Pampanga outside Manila.

One of the Philippines top hotels in north Luzon.

 

Wedding couples looking for wedding reception venues and beach wedding venues can log on to this Philippines Wedding Venue web site for free information and assistance:

<a href=”http://www.clearwaterphilippines.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Logo-Yats-sm.jpg”><img src=”http://www.clearwaterphilippines.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Logo-Yats-sm.jpg” alt=”” title=”Logo Yats sm” width=”45″ height=”88″ /></a>

Yats International Leisure Philippines

 

For assistance with lodgings, accommodations, hotels and resorts near Manila in Subic, Pampanga, Angels City and Clark Philippines log on to

<a href=”http://www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com”>http://www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com</a>

 

 

While in Clark, one might as well add to the itinerary a visit to the famous Clark Wine Center, the largest wine shop in Philippines which offers over 2000 selections of fine vintage wine from all wine regions, vintages spanning over 50 years covering all price ranges.

 

<a href=”http://www.ClarkWineCenter.com”>http://www.ClarkWineCenter.com</a>


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