No ghost delivery of gadgets

ANGELES CITY - Vice Mayor Maria Vicenta Vega Cabigting denied on Thursday reports that there was a “ghost delivery” of laptops purportedly issued to four councilors.

Cabigting issued the statement in reaction to recent graft and corruption charges filed against her and six other city officials before the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the alleged irregular acquisition of laptops.

Radio broadcaster Medardo David, Claro Recto Valentino Lagman and Lawyer Francisco Buan Jr. filed the complaint against Cabigting, City Administrator Dennis Pamintuan, General Services Officer Menandro Dizon and Councilors Jericho Aguas, Alex Indiongco, Jesus Sangil, and Edgardo Pamintuan Jr.

Cabigting also denied the complainants’ allegations that they connived with a laptop and cellular phone supplier to cause injury to the government in the amount of P120,000.

According to her, the gadgets were delivered and are being used by the officials in their official functions on city legislations.

The vice mayor, however, refused to issue an additional statement regarding the case, saying that they haven’t formally received a copy of the complaint from the Office of the Ombudsman.

“Although we have not received the formal complaint yet, we have a copy of it through the PDF. Our lawyers are looking into it already. I will stand by my councilors. It was all done in good faith. We will just follow the legal process pagdating ng complaint,” Cabigting said.

In their joint complaint-affidavit, the complainants claimed that seven city officials connived with vendors of a cellphone shop to effect ghost purchases of four units of laptops in August 2011.

The complainants alleged that “no such purchases were made and worse, no actual deliveries.”

The officials allegedly violated several laws including Republic Act 3019 - Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, Republic Act 9184 - Government Procurement Reform Act, Republic Act 6713 - Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards of Public Officials and Employees, and Section 52 of Civil Service Commission (CSC) Resolution No. 99-1936, dated August 31, 1999 otherwise known as the “Uniform Rules in Administrative Cases in the Civil Service, for Serious Dishonesty and Grave Misconduct.