Atty. Eldridge Marvin Aceron on Friday morning filed a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman against former Sorsogon governor and now Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero, accusing him of systematic corruption, misappropriation of public funds, procurement fraud, and gross neglect of duty.
In his complaint-affidavit, Aceron cited alleged financial irregularities amounting to P352,079,063.46 during Escudero’s governorship, as documented in the Commission on Audit (COA) 2021 Annual Report of the Province of Sorsogon.
“This case is purely the result of and originated entirely from the COA findings of 2021 regarding the provincial government of Sorsogon. I started studying this after I filed the ethics case in the Senate, and I noticed that this former governor of Sorsogon seems to have a pattern of corruption,” Aceron said.
According to Aceron’s review of COA records, P127,704,889.93 worth of infrastructure contracts were awarded to the same contractors using the same personnel and equipment. He added that P15,474,262.65 in national government funds — including P10 million intended for typhoon relief — remained unimplemented for up to six years.
The complaint also alleged that P8,440,701.12 in janitorial and laundry contracts were supported by falsified documents and irregularly implemented by Board members, while TUPAD disbursements with defective signatures, missing authorization, and improper implementation amounted to P1,655,400.00.
Aceron further claimed that P5,654,955.90 in development projects were improperly charged to the province’s 20 percent development fund, outside its approved procurement plan.
He also cited P197,748,853.86 in “unreliable” Property, Plant, and Equipment (PPE) accounts, including ghost assets and demolished structures still listed in government books.
Aceron urged the Ombudsman to “investigate thoroughly and prosecute vigorously,” insisting that officials who betrayed public trust must face consequences. He recommended charges for violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, malversation, frauds against public treasury, and falsification of public documents.
Last October, Aceron also filed an ethics case against Escudero over alleged illegal campaign donations. Escudero dismissed it as “political retribution.”
Aceron countered in his filing that “the complainant does not file cases for political vendetta or for personal gain but because Filipinos deserve an honest government — one that truly serves people.”