Friday, May 04, 2007 Purchase of 5 dumptrucks questioned By Erwin Ambo S. Delilan
COMEBACKING mayor Luzviminda "Joy" Valdez revealed the alleged anomalous purchase of the five dump trucks amounting to millions of pesos made by the city government two years ago.
In a press conference held at the Business Inn, Valdez, who is running under Lakas-Kampi's Performance Team, said that despite the adverse findings of the Management Audit Services Office (Maso) under the City Account's Office, specifically on load capacity, which is eight tons as per Purchase Request (PR) and Purchase Order (PO), and after a series of referrals, the supplier -- Trans Orient Motors of Bacolod -- was paid last January 24, 2007 only in the amount of P1,613,660.72.
Worse, added Valdez, said purchase has no approval by the Sanggunian Panlungsod.
And granting if it has an approval of the SP, still Valdez questioned price reduction from P2,470,000 to only P1,613,660.72.
"Why did the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) awarded it to Trans Orient Motors? What if the supplier will demand payment of the balance as per issued PO?",Valdez further asked.
City Legal Officer Allan Zamora said, "Valdez is just ignorant of the law."
Zamora said SP's approval is no longer needed for the purchase of the dump trucks because the budget used to it had already been from the approved appropriation ordinance.
But Valdez cited another irregularity on the purchase such as the act of Melvin Recabar, BAC's secretarial head to receive the delivery of the units on November 3, 2005.
"Is the head of the BAC Secretariat authorized to receive delivery or is he the end user of these five dump trucks?" the former mayor also asked, adding: "This is now a clear case of usurpation of authority and abuse of discretion."
Valdez dared Assistant City Legal Officer Vicente Petierre III to probe the matter.
But Zamora countered by saying that not his assistant has the right to conduct probe but him.
Mayor Evelio Leonardia, on the other hand, said Valdez's revelation is "politically motivated."
