Bacolod mayor to be arraigned on P26-M computer anomaly

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines – Mayor Monico Puentevella and two other officials of this city will be arraigned on April 15 for the questionable procurement of computers and software worth P26 million, which was funded through his pork barrel fund when he was congressman.

The Sandiganbayan decided to set the arraignment as the Supreme Court has not issued any temporary restraining order or injunction preventing it from proceeding with the case.

The anti-graft court denied a motion to quash filed by Puentevella and the respondents. It said there is no reason to suspend the proceedings.

The complaint against Puentevella, the late education regional director Victorino Tirol and Jessie Garcia of Merryland Publishing Corp. was filed with the Ombudsman by the late city legal officer Allan Zamora and former city legal officer Joselito Bayatan.

The case stemmed from the procurement of computer packages for public elementary and secondary schools in the city from 2001 to 2006.

The anti-graft court junked the omnibus motions filed by Puentevella and Garcia seeking reconsideration of a court resolution finding probable cause to issue arrest warrants against them.

It also rejected the accused request to defer the arraignment and suspend the proceedings for lack of merit.

The Sandiganbayan said Puentevella failed to prove that the city government’s bids and awards committee recommended the procurement of the computers and software from Merryland.

The complainants said the accused conspired to procure the project from Merryland without holding a public bidding.

They alleged that some of the school beneficiaries have not received the computers.