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Jose Rodel Clapano - The Philippine Star
December 10, 2025 | 12:00am
Former Pangasinan 4th District representative Christopher de Venecia
Photo from the official Facebook page of Rep. Christopher de Venecia
MANILA, Philippines — Former Pangasinan 4th District representative Christopher de Venecia has been cleared of both criminal and administrative liability after the Office of the Ombudsman reviewed a series of allegations filed by journalist and tricycle association leader Jaime Aquino.
Aquino’s accusations initially drew some media attention but ultimately did not advance before the ombudsman.
He had publicly charged De Venecia, Bugallon Mayor Liseldo Calugay and Calugay’s wife with plunder, malversation of public funds, grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty and dishonesty over more than P286 million worth of flood control projects.
However, Aquino later acknowledged that his allegations against De Venecia and the Calugays were based solely on hearsay and second-hand information from unnamed sources.
He also admitted that he had no documents to substantiate his claims, even asking the Independent Commission for Infrastructure to investigate and validate the complaint he filed.
His purported “video evidence” of allegedly defective or useless flood control structures has been widely questioned online, as Pangasinan residents posted their own videos refuting his assertions.
A recent clearance issued by the Office of the Ombudsman confirmed that no criminal or administrative cases are pending against De Venecia.
Responding to the development, the former lawmaker said that “while the call for transparency and accountability should still remain the priority of every Filipino, we must also remain vigilant against unscrupulous individuals who attempt to take advantage of the outrage and file nuisance cases hoping for a payday.”
Aquino previously drew public scrutiny in 2022 when he was expelled from the National Press Club of the Philippines, the country’s largest organization of active journalists, without the possibility of reinstatement.
The NPC cited a pattern of filing fabricated cases against public officials, suggesting a possible extortion scheme.
