Cebu town mayor, 7 others convicted of graft

MANILA, Philippines – For favoring a supplier for a P1.12-million contract in 2007, the former mayor and 7 other officials of Aloguinsan town in Cebu were convicted of graft by the Sandiganbayan First Division.

Sentenced to 6 years imprisonment and perpetually disqualified from public office are former Mayor Cynthia Moreno and the members of her municipal bids and awards committee (BAC) at the time: Pepito Manguilimotan, Nonela Villegas, Marilyn Flordeliza, Gertrudes Ababon, John Lim, Emilia Luz B. Celis, and Orven M. Negasca.

According to witnesses in the case, no competitive bidding was conducted for the supply of 311 sheets of aluminum composite panels. After conducting a price canvass, the municipal government purchased them from Diamond Interior Industries Corporation (DIIC) for P1.12 million ($25,577)*.

In its 28-page decision the anti-graft court division said there was no ground for a negotiated procurement because the office fixtures were not for an emergency.

“The prosecution had proven beyond reasonable doubt that the accused gave unwarranted benefit to DIIC through manifest partiality, evident bad faith and gross inexcusable negligence,” the court said.

The defendants claimed that a public bidding was conducted, but the court pointed out that the date when this supposedly happened was after the purchase of the items had been made.

“It is very glaring that the transaction between the municipality and DIIC was already completed before …the date of the purported bidding. The totality of evidence shows that the bidding, if at all there was one, in paper or in actuality or both, was not a competitive one in the real sense of the word,” the decision said. – Rappler.com 

*(P43.78:$1)