Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales has affirmed the indictment of former Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) chairman Jose Antonio Leviste for Malversation of Public Funds for his failure to liquidate cash advances relating to his official travels in 2003 amounting to P151,385.42. PRA Financial Planning and Control Division Chief Philip John Moreno is also impleaded in the Information.
The total cash advances by Leviste amounted to P446,040.25 as evidenced by journal and disbursement vouchers but he was only able to liquidate expenses amounting to P294,654.83, leaving an outstanding unliquidated cash advance amounting to P151,385.42 which should have been liquidated not later than February 2004.
The Commission on Audit (COA) found that the amount remained unliquidated as of March 2009 and despite repeated demands, Leviste failed to account for the public funds.
In the Resolution, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales said that “Leviste has custody and control of these public funds, having been taken from the PRA coffers” and that documents showed that a demand letter was already sent to Leviste as early as September 2004.
“Leviste cannot take refuge on his incarceration for his failure to settle outstanding accountability, allegedly because he failed to receive notice thereof. His failure to account for them despite repeated demands from the PRA management and the COA gave rise to the presumption that he misappropriated them for his own benefit” stated the Ombudsman.
Leviste served as PRA Chairman of the Board of Trustees from 2001 to 2005. ###