Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 4) — The Office of the Ombudsman has dismissed the graft charges filed against former Environment Secretary Gina Lopez and Ecoglobal Inc. CEO Jean-Philippe Henry over a possible influence peddling issue.
In its resolution, the Ombudsman said the case filed by former Ecoglobal Business Development Officer Viena Tañada lacks probable cause.
Lopez and Henry were charged with two counts of graft each.
In her complaint, Tañada said Lopez received an invitation in July 2016 to visit Paris to see the wastewater projects in the European country. The invitation was from public French company Syndicat Interdepartmental pour l’Assainissement de l’Agglomeration Parissienne (SIAAP). In September of the same year, Henry sent the same invitation to Lopez, Tañada added.
She said the hotel accommodation, flight bookings, as well as travel allowances and insurances for the trip, which all amounted to P2.05 million, were shouldered by the renewable energy firm.
Tañada said Lopez “had directly or indirectly received a gift or material benefit” from Ecoglobal, which then had a pending application for a renewable energy service contract from the Energy Department. The project, she said, would be expanded to a solar farm that would require a permit from then Lopez’s agency.
The Ombudsman, however, said the trip could not qualify as “receiving any gift” as defined under the Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
It said SIAAP was “primarily liable for the expenses paid for the trip.”
The Ombudsman said the amount Tañada provided in her complaint could have covered as well the seven others who were with Lopez during the trip.
“This deprives the office of any basis to rule on whether the trip is manifestly excessive or not,” it said.
The Ombudsman added that the trip would also not qualify as a criminal violation as it was approved by the Office of the President.
