GSIS sacks official over questionable deals

MANILA, Philippines - The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), the state pension fund for government workers, has “sacked one of its officials for entering into allegedly illegal and questionable transactions with Questronix Corp. and IBM Philippines.”

In a statement yesterday, GSIS said it removed Edilberto Ocampo, Information Technology Services Group senior vice president, from his post due to “dishonesty, grave misconduct, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.”

The same statement, however, said that Ocampo has not reported for work since January 2009. Furthermore, GSIS officials have been addressing Ocampo in previous press briefings as a former employee.

GSIS spokesperson Estrella Elampara did not answer calls to her mobile phone yesterday to clarify the matter.

The GSIS statement maintained that Ocampo was found to have entered into multi-million peso contracts with IBM without authority, and into anomalous contracts with Questronix.

The state pension fund said that Ocampo signed an agreement dated June 30, 2008 that bound the GSIS to pay IBM the monthly license charge of P4.9 million for the supply of software licenses covering the period April 1 to June 30, 2008.

IBM allegedly entered into this agreement without authority and in violation of the provisions of Republic Act 9184, or the Government Procurement Act, on the conduct of procurement proceedings prior to award of contracts, GSIS said.

Furthermore, GSIS alleged that the agreement entered into by Ocampo did not contain a confirmation by the GSIS Bids and Awards Committee that funds were included in the Annual Procurement Plan for 2008.

GSIS also claimed that Ocampo, then project manager of the Executive Information System (EIS) of the pension fund, entered into a contract with Questronix Corp., in a joint venture with SAS Institute (Philippines), Inc., for the acquisition and implementation of the EIS, a data information management system.

The pension fund noted that the contract violated the requirement of the terms of reference (TOR) of the invitation to apply for eligibility and to bid for the EIS project that the software license should be perpetual.

The GSIS claimed the contract Ocampo entered into went below the requirements of the project’s terms because instead of a perpetual license, it required, for a fee, the annual renewal of software license.

Aside from his dismissal from the GSIS, Ocampo’s eligibility for retirement benefits was forfeited and he was also disqualified from re-employment in the government service.