Ombudsman urged: Suspend BuCor execs over procurement anomalies

MANILA, Philippines - Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales is being asked to issue preventive suspension orders against six officials of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) who are facing a various criminal and administrative charges for alleged procurement anomalies in the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP).

In a nine-page motion filed last week, Prison Guard 3 Kabungsuan Makilala cited a recent Commission on Audit (COA) report, which he said confirms his accusations of alleged irregularities, as the basis for his appeal.

He said the Ombudsman should suspend the BuCor officials because the “evidence of guilt is strong” and their continued stay in the BuCor “may prejudice the just, fair and independent disposition of the criminal and administrative cases filed against them.”

Makilala filed charges against the BuCor officials two months ago for alleged procurement anomalies, catering services anomalies, and other allegedly questionable transactions within the NBP. The charges he filed include graft, violation of the procurement law and the Code of Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, gross insubordination, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

He named BuCor director Gaudencio Pangilinan, consultant and chief of staff Venancio Santidad, director Teodora Diaz, bids and awards committee chairman Alfredo Benitez, BAC secretariat head Larry Hari, accounting division chief Ligaya Dador, and NBP chief Superintendent Richard Schwarzkopf as respondents.

State auditors, in a 2011 annual audit report released less than a month ago, found alleged violations of the procurement law in the BuCor’s transactions last year involving the construction and repair of various structures and improvements in the administration building.

The COA report said there appeared to be splitting of contracts “since the construction materials subject of small value purchases are relatively the same in nature which could have been procured under a single purchase contract through public bidding.”

Under the government procurement law, projects costing P500,000 and lower do not have to be subjected to public bidding.

 “Moreover, we noted that for some infrastructure projects, the original mode of procurement was public bidding but the actual purchases were done thru shopping,” state auditors said.