The Court of Appeals has affirmed the dismissal of a former official of the Department of Social Welfare and Development over an administrative case involving the illegal disbursement of government funds amounting to P8 million from the Priority Development Assistance Fund of Quezon City Rep. Vincent “Bingbong” Crisologo.
In a decision, the CA sustained the 2017 resolution of the Office of the Ombudsman finding former DSWD assistant secretary Vilma Cabrera guilty of grave misconduct, serious dishonesty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of public service.
The appellate court dismissed for lack of merit the petition of Cabrera seeking reversal of the Ombudsman order.
It held that the Ombudsman was correct in ordering the dismissal of the DSWD official.
“Facts and circumstances surrounding this case would show that there were irregularities surrounding the release and use of the subject PDAF,” the appellate court said.
Records showed that Crisologo asked the Department of Budget and Management in 2009 for the release of more than P8 million for the implementation of the Comprehensive Integrated Delivery of Social Services program with the DSWD as implementing agency.
Crisologo’s P8 million in PDAF was released to non-government organization Kaloocan Assistance Council Inc.
However, upon investigation, the Ombudsman found that National Children’s Hospital attested that no free medical or dental mission was conducted in October 2009.
It was also found that KACI falsified documents such as receipts and that some of the financial beneficiaries were political supporters of Crisologo.
Apart from Cabrera, the Ombudsman also ordered the dismissal from service of two other DSWD officials involved in the anomaly—Undersecretary Mateo Montaño and former Assistant Director Pacita Sarino. Both Montaño and Sarino also questioned the Ombudsman ruling before the CA, which also dismissed their petition in June last year.