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COA probes PSU anomalies

URDANETA CITY (Mar. 4) — ‘F9’ movement, the movement inside Pangasinan State University (PSU) exposing rottenness of its own officials, celebrated its first anniversary for a different reason.

Fraud Audit has been ongoing in the university since early February, with the arrival of an audit team from the Commission on Audit (COA) Central Office.

The corruption controversy that sparked a multi-sectoral movement called ‘F9’ in the campus has taken spotlight as a leading program from a television station further exposes the controversy aired on February 5.

Complainants led by Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Benigno F. Castro filed a manifesto before the National Bureau of Investigation-Dagupan in May. The manifesto contained allegations of graft and corruption, falsification of public documents, cronyism and other malpractices the complainants claim to have been committed during Asanion’s term.

In 2001, PSU signed a contract with Quedan Corporation to finance its Corn Productivity Incentive Program. The program aims to assist about 1, 500 corn farmers by providing technical and financial aid. The farmers in return would have to sell their produce to the university and the latter, to the San Miguel Corporation.

The loan amounting to P20 million was used to buy four tractors and a corn drying facility which the complainants claim were ‘grossly overpriced’. Some P2 million was left from the purchase but was not enough to finance the programs’ other aspects such as the procurement of seeds and fertilizers. The complainants added the loan has bloated to about P27 million at present.

COA said thousands of money could have been extracted but cannot be verified, as there were no receipts to mirror this. The complainants added, at least P1.5 million had been channeled from regular income (tuition and miscellaneous fees) to support the project.

NBI ensured there would be no ‘whitewash’ in the investigation. The case, held by the NBI’s Legal and Evaluation Department has been transferred from NBI Dagupan which held the case sometime in May last year. It now awaits the Office of Ombudsman to file charges should the 25 counts of fraud be proven.

PSU campuses in Lingayen, San Carlos, Bayambang and Urdaneta joined the ‘F9’ mobilization in March 4, 2004. # Jhong dela Cruz for NORDIS

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