Masbate Governor Antonio Kho is facing a corruption complaint before the Ombudsman in connection with the alleged anomalous road projects worth over P234.6 million that turned out to be "ghost" or non-existent.
Complainant Ruben Fuentes, president of the Masbate QUAD Media Society Inc., said Kho should be charged with plunder, malversation, and graft charges over the supposed awarding of the provincial government's five road projects to a construction firm to the tune of P234,562,500 despite being disqualified from undertaking the projects.
Aside from Kho, ten other Masbate officials and the Marabe General Construction and Supply proprietor, Edgardo Marabe, were named respondents in a complaint filed before the Ombudsman for Luzon on 5 January.
Fuentes alleged that the local officials, including Kho, were in cahoots with Marabe in defrauding the government by awarding the multi-million road projects to the latter, who is allegedly a disqualified bidder.
"The anomalous disbursement of funds to pay ghost projects, faking bidding processes, and giving unwarranted benefits, advantage, and preference to the respondent contractor who failed to meet the minimum equipment qualifications could not have been made possible without the deliberate malicious conspiracy of the respondents," the complaint read.
Based on the complaint, the five projects were part of the provincial government's initial 48 road initiatives, with a total budget of P714,583,000, allegedly sourced from a "dubious" supplemental budget for 2022.
Fuentes said that of the 48 road projects, only 23 were awarded to the winning bidders while five were simultaneously awarded to Marabe, including the rehabilitation of Jaboyoan-Pinaanan-Capsay-Balete road in Aroroy Masbate, which accounted for the biggest chunk of total contract at P67,908,000.
Citing the notice to proceed, Fuentes said the five road projects started on 9 September 2022 and were intended to be completed in not later than one month, as specified in the contract agreement.
However, he cited records showing that some road projects have already been completed by 50, if not 95 percent, in just five days.
Fuentes likewise alleged that Marabe had already received 50 percent payment for each of the five road projects on 12 September, the day the rehabilitation of the five projects started.
The complainant said several witnesses testified that the P234.6 million road projects were "non-existent" or" ghosts."
Fuentes averred that the amount involved is "clearly anomalous, repugnant to conscience, and inherently incredible and is certainly more than the threshold of the plunder law."
In 2016, Kho was also indicted by the Ombudsman in relation to his alleged involvement in the multi-million fertilizer scam in 2004.
He escaped criminal liability the following year after the Sandiganbayan ruled that there was an "inordinate delay" on the part of the Ombudsman to complete the preliminary investigation.
