Cebu lawmaker, 19 others face graft raps

MANILA, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman yesterday ordered the filing of graft charges against former Lapu-Lapu City mayor and now Cebu Rep. Arturo Radaza for his alleged involvement in the purchase of overpriced personal computers worth P23.5 million in 2005.

Nineteen other local officials and private individuals will also be indicted before the Sandiganbayan for their alleged role in the fraudulent transaction. 

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales ordered the filing of the graft case against Radaza based on the recommendations of the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas, which probed the alleged anomaly.

The respondents include then city schools superintendent Serena Uy, former Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) chairman Vincent Joseph Lim, current BAC chairman Teodulo Ybanez, BAC vice chairman Fernando Tagaan, Jr., and BAC members Michael Dignos, Victoria Andoy, and Elena Pacaldo.

Also to be indicted are Technical Working Group (TWG) head Rogelio Veloso and TWG members Cipirano Flores, Sharon Baguio, Buenaventura Igot, Jerico Mercado and Maribeth Sorono; administrative aide III Marita Guiao of the Procurement Section; Inspection Committee members Cleofe Solis, Leandro Dante, Ernesto Imbong, and Rogaciano Tampus; and Jennet Valencia, manager and proprietor of Kein Enterprises.

The case stemmed from a complaint filed by the Coralpoint Educational Foundation Inc. which accused Lapu-Lapu City officials of conspiring with each other in causing the overpriced purchase of 470 computer units for national and public high schools in the city in 2005.

The complaint alleged that Radaza, who was the mayor then, approved a purchase request by the Department of Education’s Lapu-Lapu City Division for the acquisition of the computers, estimated at P50,000 each for a total cost of P23.5 million.

During the bidding, only Kein Enterprises qualified and was subsequently awarded the contract to supply the computers at P49,950 each, for a total cost of P23,476,500.

An investigation, however, revealed that the company delivered computers of inferior quality and which did not comply with the specifications in the purchase order.

Ombudsman probers also found that the prevailing market price for the computers with the same specifications was only P23,100 per unit or a total cost of only P10,857,000, thus a difference of P12,619,500.

Graft investigators said the “disparity of P26,850 (P49,950 less P23,100) or a mark-up of 116 percent from P23,100” is far beyond the 10 percent allowed under Section 3.1 of Commission on Audit (COA) Memorandum No. 97-012 series of 1997.

“It is clear that respondents acted with manifest partiality for Kein Enterprises and with evident bad faith against the government,” they said.

Graft probers recommended a bail of P30,000 for each of the respondents, who were charged with violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.