Friday, October 19, 2007 Opposition dads ready case on medicines By Lizanilla J. Amarga
THE overpriced medicine scam that involved the monopoly of only one supplier for the past nine years is going to be combined with those "chosen few" suppliers for hospital supplies to constitute another plunder suit against former Cagayan de Oro city mayor now Vice Mayor Vicente Emano and his cohorts.
This came with reports that the draft for the first plunder suit is now being circulated around the circle of local opposition lawyers for corrections and "final polishing."
In separate interviews with Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro, opposition lawyers Manuel Ravanera and Rogelio Bagabuyo said they are now collating documents given to them by different parties regarding the overpriced hospital supplies and medicine purchases of the Emano administration.
Also, City Councilor Teodulfo Lao said Minority Floor Leader City Councilor Zaldy Ocon has been keeping a number of documents also regarding other overpriced transactions of the Emano administration.
Ravanera's documents were those given to him by the workers from the J.R. Borja Memorial Hospital.
"These documents were kept by people not only because they fear the consequences but they know that as long as Emano is still at the helm, nothing will happen to their complaints," said Ravanera.
The opposition leaders said a combination of these overpriced purchases reaching the aggregate amount of P50 million and the creation of monopolies by the Emano administration for a "chosen few" suppliers will tantamount to a violation of the Anti-Plunder Law or Republic Act 7080.
The Plunder law only has three elements -- it must be committed by a public officer, the aggregate amount must be P50 million or above, and that there is a connivance to plunder the people's wealth through six "means or similar schemes."
Two of these schemes include the "misappropriation, conversion, misuse or malversation of public funds or raids on the public treasury" and "establishing industrial or commercial monopolies or other combinations and/or implementation of decrees and orders intended to benefit particular persons or special interests."
