USAID body tapped in corruption raps vs. Speaker Nograles, son Karlo

‘Signboard Speaker’, Karlo “The Usurper’ in hot water

Speaker Prospero Nograles and son Karlo will not be idle after they would have been sentenced to political oblivion in the May elections.

A precedent-setting graft and corruption charges, to be assisted by an anti-graft body funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is being readied against them for using government projects as political capital.

The Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod said it is preparing evidence—giant billboards with the name and photo of Nograles and his chief-of-staff son Karlo—erected in nationally-funded projects implemented in Davao City.

Karlo’s case would have an added burden being an unelected official and a mere “errand boy” and would be accused of usurping functions of the Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, said Hugpong.

 

For exercising the mandate and privileges belonging to the Office of the Speaker, Karlo Nograles shall be held accountable for usurpation of authority that his father, Speaker Prospero C. Nograles, has likewise abused, it said.

Hugpong said it would tap the Philippine Public Transparency Reporting Project (PPTRP) in filing the graft rap against Nograles and his son for the signboards that the USAID-funded body said couldd be defined “defined as corruption.”

            We would like to see an end to politicians who promote themselves on the back of public money by putting their own names and photos on publicly-funded projects, earlier said Alan Davis, a British national who directs PPTRP.

            “Karlo Nograles is the chief-of-staff of the Speaker. By the nature of his job, he is a mere errand boy of a government official, but he is already using government projects to promote his bid to become a congressman of the First District of Davao City,” said Hugpong.

 

“The father and son are both guilty. The father abuses his mandated authority as he has willingly allowed his son to exercise power and mandate vested only to an elected congressman. The son, in turn, has happily exercised an assumed authority without any shame or reservation,” said Hugpong.

“Karlo is merely an employee of the House of Representatives. He cannot use the power of the congressman but he speaks and acts like one. His political ambition is clearly eating him and he has become a trapo at a young age,” the group said.

According to Hugpong, Karlo is supposed to be the Speaker’s chief of staff. But a document from the Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Representatives also listed his name as among those “in the regular plantilla of the agency (House of Representative), performing law enforcement functions.”  The document does not specify whether Karlo actually undertakes intelligence work or is a security escort of his father.

Yet, the Speaker’s report regularly published in the local papers has always featured the activities and photos of Karlo doing the tasks and functions of his father. In fact, in one edition of the reports, there was no photo of the Speaker. All are Karlo’s, it said.

Like father

Alongside with the name of his father, Karlo has also plastered his name in mini fire trucks, pedicabs, basketball courts, buildings and road projects implemented through the office of his father, Hugpong said.

The rest of the Hugpong statement said:

“Through the initiative of Atty. Karlo Nograles” says one sign of his supposed project in Matina Aplaya which, interestingly, was without the name of his father who has been known as the “Billboard King” due to the billboards that are posted in many places in the city.

“Karlo does not have the mandate or the power to initiate projects. He may lobby for its implementation but he has no authority to initiate it. He is not an elected official.” the Hugpong said. Quite noticeably, Karlo’s name in the billboards was erased and painted over when criticisms were raised for the obvious abuse of government resources.

Aside from plastering his name, Karlo also misrepresented the Office of the Speaker by using its logo in his campaign materials like calendars and Styropor cups.  Nograles stickers are prominently pasted even in toothpaste boxes, toothbrush packs, food packs and bottled gin being distributed.

Other roles

Moreover, aside from usurping the authority and misrepresenting the office of his father, Karlo, who has never ran and won in an election for public office has also acted in various capacities like a barangay captain and a social worker.

For instance, in availing of the Philippine Health (PhilHealth) Insurance of the national government which gave a quota to the office of his father, Karlo’s signature is deemed mandatory for a potential beneficiary to qualify.

Karlo signs the validation and recommendation portions in the PhilHealth’s Family Data Survey Forms. The portions are officially reserved for the Barangay Captain and the Local Social Welfare and Development Officer.

“In a bid to advance his candidacy, Karlo illegally assumed authority, tasks and functions beyond the job description of his employment in the office of his father. With his actuations, Karlo appears to be worse than his father.” the Hugpong said.