TACLOBAN CITY -- The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the filing of information against Juliana Villasin, former mayor of Barugo, Leyte, for the alleged unlawful procurement of fertilizers worth P1.87 million in 2004.
Villasin, together with Municipal Accountant Aluino Ala and municipal agriculturist Reynaldo Bodo, are facing charges for violation of Republic Act 3019, otherwise known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
The Ombudsman said they authorized the purchase of 3,900 liters of Fil Ocean liquid fertilizers from Bals Enterprises through direct contracting.
In an audit, however, the Commission on Audit (COA) noted irregularities such as lack of public bidding, absence of referral to its Bids and Awards Committee, reference to specific brand names, and lack of verification as to the qualification and eligibility of the supplier.
The COA also found that “there was a prior agreement between respondents and Bals Enterprises even before the invitation to bid was published” as in fact, it took the supplier “only 48 hours to deliver the fertilizers” in Leyte despite its business being located in Quezon City.
It added too that “the fertilizer was only suitable for vegetables and power plants” and was considered “useless to achieve one of the project’s objectives, which was improved rice farming system and production enhancing-techniques.”
In an 18-page Resolution, the Office of the Ombudsman stated that Villasin, and others “gave Bals Enterprises unwarranted benefit, advantage or preference when they dispensed with the public bidding, pursued direct contracting as a mode of procurement of fertilizer for the Municipality, engaged the latter as supplier, and made payment for fertilizers, thereby causing undue injury to the government.” (Sunnex)