Silay City government faces graft raps over P18M computer project

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

MANILA -- The government of Silay City, Negros Occidental has been ordered charged with graft over the P18 million IT project that did not go through public bidding.

In a press statement, Acting Ombudsman Orlando Casimiro said he has ordered the filing of graft charges against Silay City Mayor Jose Montelibano, Vice Mayor Mark Andrew Golez and members of the City Council for going into a direct contract with Systems and Plan Integrator Development Corporation (SPIDC) for a project to automate the city's revenue operations.

Under the Government Procurement Reform Act, government projects have to be bid out unless the contractor is the exclusive dealer or manufacturer of the product.

Government units can sign direct contracts only if there are no other dealers or sub-dealers "selling at lower prices and for (products for) which no suitable substitute can be obtained at more advantageous terms to the government."

Casimiro's resolution said "the evidence presented would show that there [were] other Information and Communication Technology companies offering the same line of goods and services."

Also included in the resolution were City Administrator Ignacio Salmingo, OIC-City Treasurer Elsie Jimenea, OIC-City Accountant Emmanuel Arsenal, City Legal Officer and Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) Chair Kara Aimee Quevenco.

BAC members Pepito Hechanova Jr., Alma dela Cruz, Ricardo Ledesma Jr., and engineer Sonia Cordero, as well as BAC Secretariat Head Macarse Tionko were also included in the complaint. Also cited were BAC Secretariat members Armin Paredes, Alore Golez, and Vilma Dooma; BAC-Technical Working Group Head, engineer Rene Roy Pahilanga; and BAC-TWG members Giovanni Guzon, Jesus Oppus, Arnier Trajera and Jose Genaro Estrañero.

The Office of the Ombudsman will also go after Julieta Cunanan of SPIDC. (Jonathan de Santos/Sunnex)