LIFE’S INSPIRATIONS: “… Your rulers are rebels, partners with thieves…” (Isaiah 1:23, the Holy Bible).
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AFFIDAVIT RE: PLUNDER RAPS VS. DFA OFFICIALS, PART 1: In view of numerous queries I have been receiving on the plunder and graft cases that were filed with the Ombudsman by Reynaldo Joson, the chief of the Sanitary and Hygiene Unit of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), against his fellow top officials and ambassadors of the department over its P5 billion annual repair and renovation budget, I decided to publish here his complaint in full.
Here is the first part of the complaint which Joson filed on June 16, 2014: “I, Reynaldo D. Joson, of legal age, with office address at Department of foreign Affairs, DFA Head Office, Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City, after having sworn to law, depose and state that:
“I am filing administrative and criminal complaints against the… Respondents (who are) officials of the (DFA) and (against) private contractors… Complainant was a former employee of the Asia Development Bank (ADB) as Building Maintenance head. After the DFA purchased the ADB building, it renamed the property as Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Head Office.
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SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT FOR WHISTLEBLOWER: “Complainant is a law abiding citizen and a taxpayer… 1. Sometime in 1995, the DFA Engineering Department created the Sanitary and Hygiene Unit where (I) was assigned as Unit Head.
“2. As Head… my duties and responsibilities, among others, were: To supervise the contractors of the janitorial services in maintaining the cleanliness of the entire DFA building.
“To supervise the beautification and sanitation of the DFA Head Office (and perform) other tasks as the Head of the Building Administrative Office may assign from time to time. 3. In 1995, U/Sec. for Administration Franklin Ebdalin instructed (me) to report directly to him and to perform the following `special assignments’:
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P5 BILLION IN DFA PLUNDER CASES: “(a) To monitor, observe and report directly to him concerning the performance of sub-contractors of DFA projects, such as: building renovation and improvement, among others, and to report any anomaly in the performance of the contracted jobs.
“On top of these assignments, I was (also) appointed as project coordinator of the Foreign Affairs Ladies Foundation (DFALAF) headed by Kay Siason, the wife of (then) Ambassador Domingo Siason. As Project Coordinator of DFALAF Office, I supervised the building and house beautification and the contractors initiated by the DFALAF Office.
“4. Given this special assignment, I discovered anomalies in the performance of contractors and sub-contractors… With a combined allocated budget appropriation of Php5,000,000,000.00 (or P5 billion) for several years involving various projects, respondent DFA officials invited and awarded to contractors a number of major projects…” Please read the succeeding parts of Joson’s affidavit in our next issue.
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PLEASE LISTEN: “Ang Tanging Daan” (The Sole Way), a Bible study and prayer session on radio, airs Mondays to Fridays, 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., at DWAD 1098 kHz on the AM band. For replays, go to www.facebook.com/angtangingdaan or www.facebook.com/ANDKNK and scroll for “Ang Tanging Daan” broadcasts. Phone: 0922 833 43 96, 0918 574 0193, 0917 984 24 68. Email: batasmauricio@yahoo.com.
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