TAMPCO Board defends its former CEO over allegation of corruption posted online by anonymous individual

Tabuk City, Kalinga - The Board of Directors of Tabuk Multi-Purpose Cooperative (TAMPCO) has issued an official statement defending its former Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Father Claudio Bagano, over allegations of corruption posted online by an individual using an anonymous identity. 

The statement was issued answering an anonymous post circulated in the “Kalinga Page” on Facebook, accusing Fr. Bagano of corruption in the acquisition of a property in Quezon, Isabela, now the site of a TAMPCO branch. 

The post questioned the transaction price, claiming the lot had an original asking price of P4 million but was allegedly bought for P17 million. The message, written in a mix of Ilocano and English words, accused Fr. Bagano of overpricing, misuse of cooperative funds, and even labeled the Board of Directors and committee members complicit.

“TO ALL TAMPCO MEMBERS. dytuy ni CLAUDIO BAGANO nga nang KURAKOT ti kwarta ti miyembro tau nga COOP baknang ka mt nga PADI tudtudo. jy queson isabela!!! 4milyon ti ASKING PRICE na idi nagsarili ka nga napan nang gatang nanging 17 milyon presyo!!! ipasubli da ta over price anya ti rason mo napuuran jy titulo na🤣🤣Gago!! sabagay jy donation ti brgy offcial jy cabaruan nga baboy AGASEM NAPAN MO INPA RE-ENVERSE saka inala jy bayad na. DAKAU MT NGA BOD OR COMMITEE NGA MAKIN BIANG TI KASO NA ASIKASWEN YU MT AH WENU URAYEN YU MAKA PANAW SAKAYU AGGARAW BKA ADDA MASABIT KANYAYU NGA KUNCHABA NA,” the post claimed.

In response to the accusation, the TAMPCO Board of Directors denounced the post as a “calculated act of malice” meant to destroy the former CEO’s reputation and destabilize the cooperative.  

“These false statements are driven by personal animosities and deliberate intent to mislead, rather than any basis in truth or fact,” added in the statement.

According to the Board of Directors, Fr. Bagano was a dedicated and principled leader when he served as the CEO of TAMPCO, aiding the cooperative through numerous milestones during his tenure. 

“Under his guidance, we have achieved significant milestones, fostered a strong community, and upheld the principles of fairness and mutual benefits. During his term, the Board of Directors had full confidence in his leadership, and we stand united against this baseless smear campaign,” they wrote.  

As for the questioned land purchase, the board clarified that all of the cooperative’s financial transactions were approved both by them and the general assembly, and were subjected to standard auditing procedures and reviewed by independent external auditors.

TAMPCO, said the Board, operates in full compliance with Republic Act 9520, or the Philippine Cooperative Code of 2008, and maintains transparency through publicly accessible financial reports and third-party audit findings.  

While the identity of the anonymous accuser remains unknown, TAMPCO officials urge members and the public not to be swayed by unverified claims circulating online, saying, “We invite members to review our publicly available financial reports and audit findings, which confirm no evidence of misconduct.” 

The board added they are ready to take ‘all necessary actions to protect the truth and the integrity’ of TAMPCO and ‘will not allow malicious falsehoods to dictate or disrupt the cooperative mission.’ 

Aside from the post, a formal complaint has already been filed by a cooperative member.

The last mediation meeting was conducted on Tuesday, June 25, with the fact-finding investigation with the Federation of Cooperatives (FEDCO) and the members’ team.

Guru Press Cordillera reached out to the complainant but declined to give a statement. 

This is a developing story…