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Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Takeover of probe on 'overpriced' lamps
By Karlon N. Rama
CEBU CITY -- The Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC) wants to take over the ombudsman's investigation on the alleged overpriced decorative lampposts and streetlamps bought by the government for during the Asean summit last January.
But the original complainants do not want the investigation transferred anywhere, fearing a whitewash.
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"They want to take over the investigation now when people are already pointing their fingers at Malacañang?" said Bayan Muna secretary general Arman Perez, referring to former public works and highways secretary and now Defense Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane.
The PAGC, created by Executive Order 12 on April 16, 2001, works directly under President Arroyo, while the Office of the Ombudsman is a constitutional body independent from the executive department.
The anti-graft office has criminal and administrative authority over all public officials, while the commission only has authority over presidential appointees "with the rank of director or higher."
It has the authority to refer investigations to other bodies but Executive Order 12 isn't clear on whether the commission can take over investigations.
"I have had a bad experience with the PAGC in the past," businessman Cris Saavedra said, narrating how he once filed a complaint against then incumbent officials of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority but the PAGC dismissed it for forum shopping.
Saavedra filed a complaint Monday that includes Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo Ouano and "local government officials of Mandaue City" in the lamppost issue.
Fabmik supplied 300 lampposts at P85,000 each, 89 pieces at P224,000 each and 140 streetlamps costing a total of about P44.9 million.
Saavedra’s new complaint before the Visayas anti-graft office asks for "an aggressive investigation to protect the taxpayers' money that has not yet been released to private contractors by the DPWH 7 officials and to file the plunder case for the P50 million more or less that has been released to Fabmik Construction and Equipment Corp.”
The complaint also names DPWH Regional Director Roberto Lala, Assistant Director Marlina Alvizo, Department Chief Pureza Fernandez, Isabelo Braza of Fabmik, Fidel Uy of the Land Bank of the Philippines and John Does from both the DPWH and Fabmik.
Saavedra urged the anti-graft office to summon the contractors to a clarificatory conference.
"Our intent is to get answers," he said.
Saavedra, together with the party-list group Bayan Muna, filed the original complaint that resulted in the fact-finding investigation on the allegedly overpriced lampposts.
He confirmed that an investigator from PAGC, identified as Gilbert Lomantao, came to see him Monday and asked for testimony against those involved in the purchase.
"I told them I will help you but don't take over from the Office of the Ombudsman. I will cooperate only with Deputy Ombudsman (Virginia) Santiago. I don't want to have to go to Manila," he said.
Sources also said PAGC called up the local anti-graft office and instructed it to terminate its investigation and to turn over all records to the commission.
Calls were also made to the regional offices of the DPWH, the Commission on Audit and the Department of Budget and Management asking them to turnover records relative to the lamppost transaction to PAGC "within three days."
"This may well be the beginnings of a cover-up," Perez said.
"Before the names of Malacañang officials came up, they said it will just be a parallel investigation. Now when Ebdane's name has been dragged, the investigation suddenly shifts to Manila?" he asked. (Sun.Star Cebu)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Cebu. (March 20, 2007 issue)
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