Alleged overpriced materials: Fire victims sue Jonas and other city officials

CEBU, Philippines - The fire victims in Umapad, Mandaue City yesterday sought the preventive suspension of Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes and eight other city officials as they filed criminal and administrative complaints against them before the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas over the alleged overpriced and substandard construction materials that were given to the more than 500 victims.

The fire victims were represented by Helen Sungahid, Letecia Sinagpolo, Evelyn Delionardo, Evangeline Soco and Leonardo Delacado.

Included in the complaint with Cortes are City Administrator Briccio Boholst, social welfare officer Violeta Cavada, budget officer Lamberto Marababol, and bids and awards committee members Antonio Sanchez, Eliseo Ceniza, Oscar Quirante and Dario Mago.

The complainants alleged that the city officials violated Section 26 of Republic Act 6770 otherwise known as the Ombudsman Act as implemented under the Administrative Order No. 7 and Sec tion 3(e) of the Republic Act 3019 otherwise known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

The complainants said that when the big fire broke out in sitios Lemonsito and Mangga in Umapad in the evening of May 24, approximately 280 residential houses were razed.

On May 26 the Sangguniang Panlungsod passed a resolution declaring the areas affected under the state of calamity and more than P6 million were allocated for assistance to the victims.

The fire victims were promised P10,000 worth of construction materials per house owner and P5,000 for every renter.

But, according to the victims, the materials distributed were not only overpriced these were also substandard.

The construction materials were supplied by Central Lumber Corporation, which was also impleaded in the complaint.

The complainants said that the respondents connived each other to make it appear that the galvanized iron sheets was bought by them for P495 each while the marine plywood was priced at P395 each.

However, the complainants claimed that based on their comparative canvass with the other suppliers it appears that the materials supplied by the Central Lumber were overpriced.

They found out that the plywood is only P276 each and not P395 as claimed by the respondents.

Politically Motivated

Cortes said that the filing of the case was politically motivated.He said that he is ready to face the charges and added that he expected them considering that the election fever is rising.

“Its pure and simple politics and to be direct it’s political harassment,” Cortes said.

However, lawyer Francisco Amit of the Mayor’s Management Team said that there was a similar purchase of materials with the same specifications during the administration of former Mayor Thadeo Ouano.

Amit said that he found a documents showing that in June 10, 2004, the city was able to purchase marine ¼ plywood at P395 each.

There was another purchase in November 4, 2004 of plywood of the same specification costing P405 each and in October 31, 2007 the plywood was also bought at P540 each while the G.I. sheets cost P665 each.

Amit said that they cannot see any overpricing, when the city has purchased the plywood at P395 each and the G.I sheets for P496 each.

Amit added that there has been no advisory coming from the Department of Trade and Industry that prices of housing materials have gone down.

Instead, prices of housing materials have gone up this year because of the demand since there is a construction boom for Metro Cebu. — /NLQ   (FREEMAN NEWS)