18 Lapu officials suspended over PC purchase

CEBU, Philippines - Eighteen officials of Lapu-Lapu City who composed the Bids and Awards Committee were ordered suspended for six months without pay after they were found guilty of conduct grossly prejudicial to the best interest of the service over the alleged anomalous procurement of computers.

The recommendation of Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Pelagio Apostol was approved by Acting Ombudsman Orlando Casimiro last June 7, 2011.

Ordered suspended were City Legal Officer Vincent Joseph Lim, City Administrator Teodulo Ybañez, Assistant City Engineer Fernando Tagaan Jr., City Legal Officer Michael Dignos, City Budget Officer Victoria Andoy, City Treasurer Elena Pacaldo, Technical Working Group Engr. Rogelio Veloso and TWG members Dr. Cipriano Flores and Engr. Sharon Baguio.

The other members of the BAC who were also ordered suspended were City Accountant Buenaventura Igot, Jerico Mercado, Engr. Maribeth Soroño, Marita Guiao, City General Services Officer Cleofe Solis, Leandro Cañete, Ernesto Imbong, Rogaciano Tampus and City School Division Superintendent Serena Uy.

Both Lim and Tagaan died three years ago while the case was still being investigated by the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas.

Pacaldo and Solis have retired from service while Igot resigned due to health reasons. The Visayas Ombudsman said as they have already retired from the service, their administrative case is dismissed for being moot and academic.

Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza has been ordered by the Office of the Visayas Ombudsman to implement the said order.

“My legal advisers cautioned me that the respondents, as part of due process have the right to file a motion for reconsideration. This might constrain me though from immediately implementing the directive of the Ombudsman. I will report to the Ombudsman my action as directed,” Mayor Radaza said.

Former Lapu-Lapu City mayor and now Rep. Arturo Radaza was not included in the administrative case because of the Aguinaldo Doctrine, which considers administrative infractions committed by a reelected official in his previous term moot and academic.

The case was from a complaint earlier filed by businessman Efrain Pelaez of the Coralpoint Educational Foundation, Inc. who alleged the Lapu-Lapu City government made an anomalous purchase of 470 computers requested by the Department of Education intended for the national and public high schools in the city.

Pelaez said aside from the bloated price, the seller is also unqualified to supply.

Pelaez alleged that on February 8, 2005, former mayor Radaza approved a Purchase Request by the Department of Education, Lapu-Lapu City Division through Uy for the acquisition of 470 computers.

The estimated cost for each unit was P50,000 and Radaza approved the purchase request of DepEd on April 8, 2005 with a total budget of P23,500,000.

The purchase request specified that the computers should be 533Mhz Intel Processor, with 512kb cache and with a Pentium 4 motherboard. Three suppliers joined the bidding process, which include ATX Enterprises, Global Chips Technologies and Kein Enterprises, which won the contract.

However, what was delivered by the winning bidder was Intel Celeron Processor 2.26Ghz; 256Kb L2 cache and Pentium 4-Asrock P4i45GV, which is an inferior model compared to what was specified in the purchase order.

The Commission on Audit in its audit observation memorandum said that based on their inspection, the computers delivered by the supplier did not meet with the specifications in the purchase order.

COA also found out that 30 units of the 470 purchased were given to Caubian and Pangan-an High Schools despite the fact that they had no electricity.

Another 29 units were found to be defective.  (FREEMAN)