2 officials in noodle scam no longer with DepEd

MANILA, Philippines - Of the six Department of Education (DepEd) officials that the Ombudsman recently suspended without pay, Education Undersecretaries Ramon Bacani and Teodosio Sangil Jr. are no longer connected with department and are no longer affected by the order.

Bacani, former undersecretary for regional operations, left DepEd last August when Education Secretary Armin Luistro hired a new batch of top DepEd officials.

Sangil, on the other hand, had resigned from his post and transferred to the private sector in the middle of 2009, a few months after the disclosure last year of the anomalous procurement of vitamin-fortified instant noodles to be distributed to school children.

Only four of the six officials were affected by the preventive suspension: Demetria Manuel of DepEd’s Technical-Vocational Education Task Force and former vice chairman of the DepEd Bids and Awards Committee, and then BAC members lawyer Macur Marohombsar, DepEd Legal Division chief; Nanette Mamoransing and Artemio Capellan Jr.

Alberto Muyot, Education Undersecretary for Legal and Legislative Affairs and DepEd spokesman, said that the department is set to implement the suspension of the four officers.

“The suspension order has been received and DepEd will implement the order,” Muyot said.

It can be recalled that a whistleblower identified as Prudencio Quido, a former sales manager of government supplier Kolonwell Trading, exposed the alleged P750-million vitamin-fortified instant noodle scam.