PALO, Leyte, (PNA) -– The top regional police official of the Philippine National Police (PNP) here denied corruption charges against him, claiming he was deprived of his “constitutional right to due process” by alleged biased Ombudsman investigators.
Police Regional Office 8 (PRO 8) director Chief Supt. Asher Dolina tagged the recent Ombudsman’s dismissal order as unjust given the absence of due process.
Dolina has been ordered by the Ombudsman to vacate his post for an alleged anomalous purchase of nearly Php4.8 million worth of police coastal crafts in 2009 to beef up the patrol capability of the Police Maritime Group.
Dolina was assigned to Eastern Visayas in 2014.
“I am saddened that the Ombudsman, in its all-out campaign against graft and corruption in the government will issue biased and unfounded decision that violated our right to due process and right to speedy disposition of cases.”
The police official was accused of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act because the Maritime Group conducted a bidding without following the specifications of the National Police Commission for police coastal craft. Police officials were also accused of favoring some suppliers in the procurement process.
“We believe that we were able to prove the flimsiness of the allegations against us when we submitted our counter-affidavits and verified position papers in the Office of the Ombudsman. We were surprise that they ruled that we are guilty,” Dolina explained.
“If we were given the chance to answer these allegations against us, we can prove that there was a bidding that occurred as evidenced by the video coverage that was taken during the bidding.”
“Our appeal to Ombudsman Conchita Morales is to take a second look on our case. We have been building our own career and good reputation for decades. These were just tainted because of very unjust order,” he added.
Other officials who were ordered dismissed from the service for grave misconduct are Sr. Supt. Ferdinand Yuzon, Sr. Supt. Cornelio Salinas, Sr. Supt Thomas Abellar, Sr. Supt. Nepomuceno Magno Corpus, Jr., Sr. Supt. Rico Payonga, Chief Supt. Reynaldo Rafal, Chief Supt. Rizaldo Tungala, Jr., Sr. Supt. Alex Sarmiento.
Sr. Supt. Aleto Jeremy Mirasol, Supt. Michael Amor Filart, Police Officer 3 Avensuel Dy, Supt. Job Marasigan, Supt. Leodegario Visaya, Chief Insp. Juanito Estrebor and Chief Insp. Renelfa Saculles. Supt. Henry Duque and Philippine National Police Accounting Division Chief Antonio Retrato.
These officials were also “meted out the accessory penalties of perpetual disqualification from reemployment in the government service, forfeiture of retirement benefits and cancellation of civil service eligibility.” (PNA)
LAP/PGL/SQM/LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA/EGR
