The Office of the Ombudsman has filed Informations before the Sandiganbayan for violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act against Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Cotabato City Provincial Director Florante Herrera, Focal Persons Alex Labanon and Frank Beltran, and representatives of Kidapawan Assessment and Training Center (KATC); namely, Salli Vee Salvanera, Rolando Ortiz, Michael Angelo Orsonal, Eldura Cabacungan, Aurora Nesperos, Rizalito Nesperos and Ervin Biongan in connection with the accreditation of KATC as a training institution. In addition, Herrera, Labanon and Beltran face an additional charge of violation of Section 3(j) of R.A. No. 3019.
Records disclosed that in 2009, Herrera, Labanon and Beltran falsified documents to make it appear that KATC complied with the requirements for accreditation as a Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institution. Herrera also approved and processed the release of payments to KATC totaling P3.4 million despite its lack of qualifications such as absence of track record, insufficient capitalization, lack of experience of its instructors, and absence of facilities, tools and equipment to undertake software development courses and heavy equipment operation training. Several pictures were also presented showing that the course on software development was held in an internet café.
According to the Ombudsman, “there appears to have been unusual haste in the approval of KATC’s application, which was done barely a few weeks after incorporation, and in the release of payments.”
The Office of the Ombudsman noted that KATC was incorporated on 05 March 2009 and that it filed on 24 March 2009, its TVET application which was approved on 03 April 2009. On 04 May 2009, TESDA released its first payment of P102,900.00 and by the end of July 2009, KATC was paid a total of P3,472,200.00. KATC closed its operation in 2010. ###