Ombudsman clears ex-Rep. De Venecia of complaints

Former Pangasinan 4th District Representative Christopher De Venecia has been cleared of criminal and administrative liability after the Office of the Ombudsman reviewed complaints filed against him.

The complaint alleged the former congressman collected kickbacks from Department of Public Works and Highways contracts. The complaint was filed by Samahan ng Tsuper Pangasinan and journalist Jaime Aquino.

Aquino filed charges against De Venecia, Mayor Liseldo Calugay and the mayor’s wife for plunder, malversation of public funds, grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty and dishonesty in connection with alleged P286 million worth of flood control projects.

In a clearance released by the Office of the Ombudsman, the agency said that as of 02 December 2025 Christopher De Venecia has no pending criminal or administrative case before it.

In reaction, De Venecia said the public should remain vigilant against individuals who file nuisance cases to “take advantage of the outrage.” “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,” he said.

In the complaint, the complainants acknowledged they lacked sufficient evidence for their claims and sought assistance for further investigation from the Independent Commission for Infrastructure and the Office of the Ombudsman.

De Venecia earlier denied the allegations and said projects under his tenure were fully documented and properly executed. “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,” he said in an earlier statement.

He also said the complaint originated from Jaime Aquino, whom he described as having a history of filing baseless 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.