Ex-Pangasinan solon cleared of corruption claims
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Former Pangasinan Fourth District Representative Christopher de Venecia has been cleared of criminal and administrative liability after the Office of the Ombudsman concluded its review of alleged corruption complaints filed against him.
A clearance released by the Ombudsman’s office on 2 December 2025 disclosed that De Venecia has no pending criminal or administrative case with the agency.
The complaint, filed by the group Samahan ng Tsuper Pangasinan and journalist Jaime Aquino, alleged that the former congressman was collecting kickbacks from Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) contracts.
Aquino specifically filed charges of plunder, malversation of public funds, grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty, and dishonesty against De Venecia, Mayor Liseldo Calugay, and the mayor’s wife, in connection with alleged P286 million worth of flood control projects.
In the original complaint, the filers admitted they still lacked evidence to support their claims and had requested investigative assistance from the Ombudsman and the Independent Commission for Infrastructure.
De Venecia, who had previously denied the allegations, welcomed the clearance.
“While the call for transparency and accountability should still remain the priority of every Filipino, we must also remain vigilant against unscrupulous individuals who attempt to take advantage of the outrage, and file nuisance cases hoping for a payday,” De Venecia said in reaction to the Ombudsman’s finding.
The former representative had earlier defended his tenure, saying that “these claims are entirely false and unfounded. Every project initiated under my tenure was fully documented, properly executed, and delivered to the communities it was intended to serve.”
De Venecia also highlighted that complainant Jaime Aquino has a history of supposed “malicious claims” against public officials.
“It is also important to highlight that the complaint originates from Mr. Jaime Aquino, a figure with a well-documented history of repeatedly filing baseless and malicious claims against public officials,” he said.
