Surigao del Norte representative ‘Lalo’ Matugas. (Photo from the Philippine News Agency)
Complaints for graft and malversation of public funds have been filed against Surigao del Norte representative Francisco ‘Lalo’ Matugas and his son Francisco ‘Bingo’ Matugas II over an ₱80-million road project that allegedly remained unfinished yet reported on paper as complete and with the contractor already paid in full.
This was announced by Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano who said that the filing of the complaints was recommended by the now deactivated Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), which was created by President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. in September last year to investigate reported public works anomalies.
Also included in the complaints are several officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and officers of the private contractor Boometrix Development Corporation.
In a statement, Clavano cited that a preliminary investigation is under way on the allegations against the father and son and the DPWH personnel and Boometrix officers regarding the ₱80.61 million Mahayhay-Tuburan Road project in Del Carmen, Surigao del Norte.
Based on official document gathered by investigators, the project had been declared complete by DPWH officials, which allowed Boometrix to collect full payment.
However, in an on-site inspection conducted in April, the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) found the project “only 65 to 70 percent accomplished.”
This prompted the authorities to flag the project with the matter now proceeding to preliminary investigation,
Clavano, however, noted that “no finding of guilt has been made at this stage.”
Aside from the proceedings at the Ombudsman, OMB investigators have already notified the House committee on ethics and the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) regarding the complaints against Lalo Matugas and his son. The respondents will soon be ordered to respond to the complaints.
Efforts to get a comment from the Matugas camp proved futile as there was no immediate reply from the congressman. But in a statement last year, when the ICI made the recommendation for the filing, Matugas had maintained there were no records or evidence that would link him to any financial interest and contractual involvement in the project.
However, Clavano has countered that investigators have also documented ₱457.13 million in loans between the Matugases and Boometrix, which the assistant ombudsman noted supports the conclusion that both father and son held direct pecuniary interests in the construction company.