Former Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) chief Prospero Pichay Jr. and three other LWUA executives will face graft charges after allegedly misusing P1.5 million to sponsor a chess tournament.

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales ordered the filing of charges against Pichay and LWUA executives Daniel Landingin, Emmanuel Malicdem and Wilfredo Feleo for violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act No. 3019) and Section 7(a) of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees (Republic Act No. 6713).

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The Ombudsman found in its investigation that Pichay and the three other officials facilitated the sponsorship of the 2nd Chairman Prospero Pichay Jr. Cup International Chess Championship in 2010. The National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP), which was then headed by Pichay, received a P1.5 million sponsorship grant.

“Feleo, Malicdem and Landingin were manifestly partial to NCFP, a private organization headed by their superior, Pichay,” the Ombudsman said in its resolution.

It also said that the P1.5 million sponsorship grant was “excessive and dubious, especially since holding or sponsoring sporting events like chess tournaments is not among LWUA’s primary purposes.”

The Ombudsman noted that the NCFP received the sponsorship amount because it was associated with Pichay and “not because it was legally entitled to it.”

As to Pichay’s violation of the Code of Conduct, the Ombudsman said that the former LWUA chief’s “financial and material interest” in the NCFP sponsorship request was “undeniable” because it supported a tournament in his honor. CDG

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