MANILA, Philippines — More than a year after their dismissal from service on administrative charges, four former officials of the Philippine Normal University (PNU) are facing a criminal case over an allegedly anomalous P1.095-million advertisement deal in 2011.
Filed by the Office of the Ombudsman at the Sandiganbayan on April 5, the charge involves violation of Section 3 (e) of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Named as respondents in the case were former PNU president Ester Ogena, vice president for finance and administration Rebecca Nueva España, finance management service director Joseph Luceño and budget office head Florence Allejos.
Based on the charge sheet prepared by graft investigation and prosecution officer Joseph Licudan, the four then PNU officials conspired in awarding a P1.095-million or $25,000 contract to Universal News Ltd. (UNL), publisher of international journal Foreign Policy Magazine, in 2011.
The contract was for a half-page advertisement in the magazine, supposedly to highlight the university’s educational programs and achievements.
No public bidding
The ombudsman said its investigation revealed that the officials did not hold a public bidding for the contract, which is required under RA 9184, the Government Procurement Reform Act.
The ombudsman said the respondents resorted to direct contracting without the approval of the university’s Bids and Awards Committee or its Board of Regents and despite the lack of an allocated budget, as no advertisement project was included in the PNU’s approved annual procurement plan and supplemental procurement plan for 2011.
The respondents allegedly sourced the money for the contract from the university’s Special Trust Fund, the ombudsman said.
Despite the irregularities, the ombudsman said the four PNU officials still released payment totaling P1,095,916.86 to UNL.
The ombudsman said half of the amount was not covered by an approved disbursement voucher but the respondents still issued a certification stating that all the supporting documents for the release of the payment were valid and complete.
The ombudsman recommended to the Sandiganbayan to set bail at P30,000 each.
It was in October 2017 when then Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales ordered the dismissal of the four PNU officials for the administrative offense of grave misconduct in connection with the same advertisement deal.
The ombudsman gave no weight to Ogena’s defense that the advertisement was made as a “global positioning strategy for PNU” to make its programs known internationally for possible collaboration with universities abroad and to attract support from foreign funding institutions.
Ogena also said that advertising in an international publication was recommended by then Commission on Higher Education chairperson Patricia Licuanan through a letter dated April 25, 2011.
The ombudsman said “there is nothing in the letter of Chairman Licuanan which indicates that the PNU may disregard guidelines” on government procurement.