CABANATUAN CITY, Nueva Ecija, February 5, 2013–A
municipal mayor in Nueva Ecija and eight municipal officials were slapped with
criminal cases before the Office of the Ombudsman for alleged anomalous
transactions and malversation of public funds.
Charged with falsification of public documents, grave
misconduct and conduct prejudicial to public interest before the Office of the
Ombudsman were Mayor Richard Ramos of Lupao, Nueva Ecija and his subordinates
engineer Bernardo Bascos, municipal planning and development coordinator,
municipal treasurer Arthur Villar, municipal social welfare and development
officer Danilo Jacang, and bids and awards committee (BAC) members Camilo
Orofino Jr., Roger Nerizon, Benigno de Vera, Veritum Tolete and Charito
Alambra.
Also charged was businesswoman Shiela Marie Jacalan, owner
of the SRS gas filling station, a first cousin of Ramos, and sister of Orofino.
Ramos is running for reelection against councilor Marivic
Bajet-Vendivil, wife of slain former mayor Alfredo Vendivil.
The
five-page complaint against the 10 were filed by Joselito Zarate,an employee of
the treasurer’s office. It stemmed from the purchase by the municipal
government of P767, 627.66 worth of gasoline and diesel from Jacalan who was
accused of being favored for being a relative of Ramos.
The
complaint cited a Commission on Audit that the municipal government incurred
gasoline and vehicle repair and maintenance expenses worth P3.1 million without
official documents.
In his complaint, Zarate said
Ramos and the other officials allowed Jacalan to participate in the bidding
even though she is his relative in violation of Rule 15, Section 47 of the Revised
Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act No. 9184, also known as the Government
Procurement Reform Act).
“Respondent
Ramos knew but he just let her take part in the bidding and did not do his duty
to protect the interest of the municipal government,” Zarate said in his
complaint.
“Worst,”
Zarate added, “the respondent-members of
the BAC had disqualified other bidders with respondent Jacalan emerging as the only
remaining bidder is respondent Jacalan.”
Batid aniya ni Ramos na
disqualified si Jacalan na makilahok subalit hinayaan lamang nito.
The other official were included in the
complaint for allegedly conspiring to rig the bidding, with Orofino signing the
purchase documents covering the gasoline supply from SRS, a company owned by
his sister Jacalan.
“It indeed appears that respondents are
in unison and conspiracy to rig the bidding to award the supply of the fuel and
oil products to SRS Gas Filling Station for their own personal benefits and
advantage to the prejudice and damage of the Municipal government of
Lupao, Nueva Ecija,” the complaint said.
Zarate attached in his
complaint-affidavit a supplemental complaint accusing Ramos, Villar at
municipal accountant Marciano Panahon of
malversation of public funds, grave misconduct, dishonesty, gross
negligence and conduct prejudicial to public interest.
This is in connection with P730,000 reportedly deducted from municipal employees from December 2005 up to June 2007 as their share in the Pag-Ibig Funds. Due to the non-remittance of their Pag-Ibig contributions, the employees could not avail of loans.
“This
is a clear violation of Article 217 of the Revised Penal Code (malversation of
public funds or property),” he said.
Zarate said Villar and Panahon advised
him to talk to Ramos regarding the problem but the mayor did not do anything.
“Evidently,
he must be an accomplice or accessory, if not conspirator, for malversation of
these personal and government shares which are considered as public funds,” the
supplemental complaint stated.
He
said the problem worsened when the loan to Pag-ibig ballooned to P2 million in
2011. (Manny Galvez)
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