Wednesday, July 16, 2008 No irregularity in 2001 medicines purchase: VM
FORMER Malabuyoc mayor Lito Narciso Creus stood before justices of the Sandiganbayan yesterday and served as his own defense witness.
Having slid to vice mayor during the last elections, he testified that the 2001 complaint lodged against him and three others over alleged anomalies in the purchase of medicines was without basis.
He said the purchases were done after Municipal Health Officer Danilo Cabigon requested for them. It was an emergency, he said, adding that it was intended for a health project Cabigon was implementing.
Creus argued that emergency purchases of medicines to prevent an imminent threat or danger are exempted from the stringent rules of the Government Procurement Act.
During cross-examination, he however admitted that the project Cabigon was implementing was free circumcision, dental and medical check-up.
And when pressed if he considered circumcision a “medical emergency,” he said that doing one without antibiotics, anesthesia and other medicines he purchased could certainly result in one.
He also stressed that there were biddings before the purchases were made. However, it failed.
At first, no suppliers showed up. During the second setting, everybody posted bids higher than the approved estimates. Nobody showed up during the third call.
The case against Creus stemmed from an investigation report of the Commission on Audit (COA) dated Jan. 29, 2002.
According to the report, Creus split a contract for the purchase of medicines into three separate transactions, with each involving less than P200,000 per deal, in order to skirt around the requirement of bidding,
The COA report also found that most of the medicines intended for the Botica sa Barangay program either had expired, were nearing expiration or had expiration periods not in consonance with the Department of Health guidelines at the time these were purchased.
The Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas investigated the matter and, on the basis of the COA report, has charged Creus, Cabigon and then acting Municipal Accountant Macrina Niaga.
Procurement Officer-designate Rochel Allera and supplier Agnes Dumdum of MGA Pharmaceuticals were also impleaded.
The anti-graft office, in a resolution, said Creus, Cabigon, Niaga and Allera caused the government injury by doing away with public bidding in procuring the drugs and supplies.
Some of the items were later found to be overpriced by 50 percent. (KNR)
