JAEN, Nueva Ecija—Former Rep. Rodolfo Antonino on Wednesday said the
Office of the Ombudsman ignored evidence showing that documents bearing
his signatures were forged when it ordered the filing of graft and
malversation charges against him in connection with the disbursement of
his pork barrel.
The evidence was transmitted to the Ombudsman in a motion for
reconsideration he filed in June, Antonino said. It included the
testimony of a handwriting expert that his signatures were fake in all
documents that the Ombudsman was using to link Antonino to the alleged
irregular disbursement of his P14.5-million Priority Development
Assistance Fund (PDAF).
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales also ordered the filing of the same
charges against former Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap and six other
people.
Forged letters
Among the documents that Antonino claimed bore his forged signatures
were the letters to the Department of Budget and Management and to Yap
and a list of supposed PDAF beneficiaries.
Antonino said the charges surprised him.
“That was the same case with Sen. Joel Villanueva, [who was also
charged with graft in connection with the pork barrel scam but was
cleared on the same reason that the signatures were forged],” he said.
That argument convinced the National Bureau Of Investigation and the
Department of Justice to junk the charges against Villanueva, Antonino
said.
But in his case, Antonino said, the Ombudsman ruled that he should prove his claim of forgery in court.
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http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/796040/ombudsman-ignored-evidence-of-forgery-says-ex-solon#ixzz4EbCEDFCc
