Creus, town officials pay P30,000 in bail

Malabuyoc Mayor Lito Creus and other municipal officials facing criminal case for violation of anti-graft and corrupt practices over the procurement of overpriced medicines and supplies escaped arrest after posting a bail bond of P30,000 each.

The Sandiganbayan 5th division issued arrest warrants against Creus, municipal health officer Danilo Cabigon, municipal accountant Macrina Niaga, procurement officer-designate Rochel Allera and manager of MGA Pharmaceutical Agnes Dumdum last July 12 after the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas charged him and other officials of violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Creus and the other officials was taken to the Regional Trial Court Branch 27 in Lapu-Lapu City to post bail which was set at P30,000 each. He was immediately released after.

The case arose when Commission on Audit issued to the municipal government -including Vice Mayor Rolando Quiñones, municipal treasurer Susan Peque and four medical suppliers- notices of suspension and disallowance for their procurement and payment of overpriced medicines and medical supplies in the total of P108,056.15. Other grounds for the issuance of the notices are splitting of purchase order in P151,532.30 and acceptance of nearly-expired medicines worth P54,075.50.

Complainants, Gilbert Pardillo and Romulo Pielago, questioned the purchases of the medicines and supplies, and the distribution by the Office of the Mayor for February-March 1999, April-June 2000 and July 2000-March 2001.

The COA noted that the public officials concerned made some repeat orders without public bidding. Allegedly, the irregular transactions were facilitated by the Administrative Circular of Creus, which creates the Centralized Procurement Section, where he took charge all procurement of supplies and materials for the municipality.

Under the resolution of the Ombudsman, the municipal government systematically split up the requisitions of the medicines and medical supplies into several purchase orders to do away public bidding and favor certain drug suppliers. - Garry B. Lao