The Office of the Ombudsman has filed graft charges against former Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi and four other former energy officials over the 2019 sale of Chevron’s stake in the Malampaya project to Udenna Corp. The accused include Donato Dionisio Marcos, Robert Uy, Leonido Pulido III, and Cesar Dela Fuente III, charged with violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Cusi’s lawyer, Ruy Rondain, said they have not yet received official documents regarding the charges and described the reports as “unconfirmed.” He added, “We will react once we have confirmation,” and noted a pending petition at the Supreme Court challenging the Ombudsman’s reversal of its earlier dismissal of the case.
The Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) confirmed the filing and emphasized that the case was previously dismissed due to lack of evidence. PDP Deputy Spokesperson Ferdinand Topacio said, “Out of respect to that institution and the principle of sub judice, we will not comment further on the merits thereof,” and appealed to the Supreme Court “to resolve the said case with dispatch.”
Complainants allege that anomalies in the Malampaya project caused government losses estimated between P21 billion to P42 billion. They claim Cusi and others conspired to grant unwarranted benefits to Dennis Uy’s Udenna Corp in the sale and transfer of Chevron’s share.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian welcomed the indictment, stating it confirmed his concerns about irregularities in the transaction. He said, “Due diligence on the deal was cast aside to favor private interests” despite Malampaya supplying 20 percent of Luzon’s power. He added, “This development is a victory for accountability. Paalala ito na tungkulin ng gobyerno na bantayan at ipaglaban ang mga mahahalaga at kritikal na imprastraktura ng bansa (This is a reminder of government’s duty to safeguard and fight for the country’s critical infrastructure).”
As of this posting, the Office of the Ombudsman has yet to respond to requests for the official documents.
