Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 27) — The Office of the Ombudsman has found former Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) head Jeremiah Belgica and four others guilty of grave misconduct over the alleged irregular grant of frequencies to a telecommunications company.
Belgica and former ARTA officials Eduardo Bringas, Sheryl Pura-Sumagui, Jedrek Ng, and Melamy Salvadora-Asperin were ordered dismissed from their posts.
They five faced a graft complaint filed by DITO Telecommunications Corp.
They were accused of illegally issuing a resolution in 2021 that assigned contingent frequencies in favor of Now Telecom Company Inc., even though the same frequencies were already assigned to DITO by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) as the country’s third telco player.
\”The clear intent to violate the law by respondents was evident when they issued the assailed 01 March 2021 ARTA Resolution and OAA assigning frequencies to NOW Tel despite being aware beforehand of the following information gathered through the pleadings filed by the NTC, Comm. Cordoba, and DITO,\” the decision read.
It was signed by Ombudsman Samuel Martires on March 3, but was publicly released just recently.
In the event that dismissal can no longer be enforced due to separation from service, the Ombudsman said the respondents should instead pay a fine equal to their salary for one year.
