A TRANSPARENCY watchdog on Wednesday accused Philippine Charity Sweepstake Office chairman Erineo Maliksi of using his position twice to favor a confidential agent to an entitlement of P2.151 million in financial assistance from the agency.
Filipino Empowerment for Transparency and Empowerment president Jennifer “Joy” Castro said she was able to obtain documents showing Maliksi endorsed the request for the financial assistance of his
constituent and confidential agent, Celestino Aman, in September last year.
“The letter stated that the P2.1 million for financial assistance for Aman was charged from the charity fund allotment. The said amount covers the room and board, professional fees as well as medicines and laboratory procedures,” she noted.
According to Castro, Maliksi also used the Priority Development Assistance Fund of Cavite Rep. Alex Advincula to complete the payment of the bill of his former driver from Imus, Cavite totaling P2.85
million.
“In a letter dated Dec. 9, 2015, Maliksi asked PHC executive director Manuel Chua Chiaco Jr. to use P700,000 of the balance in Maliksi’s former PDAF allocation to PHC which was turned over to Advincula,” she said.
“As former representative of the 3rd District of Cavite, this representation had allocated certain amounts in the Philippine Heart Center to help defray the medical expense of my constituents in said hospital,” Maliksi’s letter read.
“I understand that of the amount allocated, there remained a balance amounting to Seven Hundred Thousand Pesos [P700,000.00] which I turned over for the use of the incumbent representative of the
Third District, the Honorable Alex L. Advincula.”
Castro questioned the preferential treatment extended by Maliksi to Aman. Advincula signed Maliksi’s letter to “conforme” and approve it.
“There is nothing wrong to help people. But why is there a special treatment?” Castro asked, even as a House of Representatives panel directed PCSO officials to fully account for the over P400-million medical assistance extended by the agency.
At the resumption of the inquiry into the charity program and operations of the PCSO, members of the House Committee on Games and Amusement clashed as officials of the lottery agency admitted that some patients requesting medical help were given huge amounts ranging from P800,000 to P1 million per patient.
