DROPPING THE CHARGES AGAINST MR. ROMUALDO C. QUIMPO, SPECIAL AGENT OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND DETAILED AS PRIVATE SECRETARY TO THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR, FOR LACK OF EVIDENCE

This is an administrative case against Mr. Romualdo C. Quimpo, Special Agent of the Chief Executive and at present detailed as Private Secretary to the Secretary of the Interior. The complainant, Hon. Cesar M. Sotto, Assemblyman from Davao, in a letter addressed to the Secretary of the Interior dated June 17, 1939, charged the respondent as follows: (1) That in the election of 1938, Mr. Quimpo distributed in his District pamphlets showing his picture as an officer of the Philippine Army, in violation of Army regulations; (2) That in 1938, he received a bribe in the amount of P15,000.00 from the Davao Japanese Association; (3) That he received bribes from the Davao Metropolitan Club, a Chinese gambling den; (4) That in the election of 1937; he asked for contributions from Chinese gambling dens in the City of Davao, thru Mr. Alejo S. Ong, who was then Chief of Police of the said City; (5) That the respondent, in connivance with Chief of Police Ong, maintained and tolerated a gambling den in the City of Davao; (6) That during the latter part of the term of office of the respondent as Assemblyman for Davao, he maintained a gambling den at Legaspi Street, City of Davao, in combination with City Councilor Donato E. Endriga; and (7) That he maintained a “querida” named Ponyang with whom he has a son.

During the investigation of the case, the complainant presented an additional charge, namely: (8) That the respondent took advantage of his position as Private Secretary to the Secretary of the Interior by opposing, for political reasons, recommendations made by Assemblyman Sotto for appointments to certain positions in Dayao, and that, without the knowledge and consent of his immediate superior, the respondent furnished the President of the Philippines and the Speaker of the National Assembly, with copies of a confidential memorandum containing grave charges against one of the candidates recommended by Assemblyman Sotto.

The investigator found the respondent guilty of a violation of Philippine Army Regulations No. 610-10, as amended, which prohibit Army officers, including those in the Reserve Force, from displaying their pictures in uniform for political purposes. The records of this Office show that this charge was brought to my attention by Assemblyman Sotto on August 4, 1939, and that he was advised that the matter was referred to the Chief of Staff for investigation and necessary action. After careful consideration of the report of the Chief of Staff, I concluded that the case did not involve any deliberate disobedience of regulations and on September 5, 1939, I requested the army authorities to warn the respondent that any further transgression in this regard would result in his summary dismissal from the rolls of the Army. For purposes of this administrative case, charge No. 1 will, therefore, be regarded as having been closed.

Charges Nos. 2, 4 and 7 were withdrawn by the complainant.

Charges Nos. 3, 5 and 6, referring to the bribes alleged to have been received by the respondent and his connection with certain gambling dens, were not substantiated.

The explanation given by the respondent with respect to charge No. 8 is considered satisfactory. The Secretary of’ the Interior, in this connection, stated that it does not appear that the respondent was actuated by any political motive in his opposition to the recommendations made by Assemblyman Sotto for certain appointments in Davao. The Secretary of the Interior stated farther that he authorized the respondent to see the President of the Philippines and the Speaker of the National Assembly regarding the matter in question.

In view of the foregoing considerations, I hereby order that the charges against the respondent, except charge No. 1 which has been previously decided, be dropped for lack of evidence.

Done at the City of Manila, this 6th day of June, in the year of our Lord, nineteen hundred and forty, and of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, the fifth.

By the President:

(Sgd.) JORGE B. VARGAS
Secretary to the President