Ombud orders E. Samar execs suspended

CEBU, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas has ordered the suspension of three officials of Oras town in Eastern Samar for one month and one day without pay after they were found guilty of administrative case for simple neglect of duty.

Graft investigation and prosecution officer Luanne Ivy Cabatingan held respondents, municipal accountant Zerlaine Mae Pacel, municipal treasurer Luz Ty and municipal budget officer Adelaida Pinangay, administratively liable for the purchase of garbage truck without public bidding and using cash advances.

The Ombudsman directed the mayor of Oras to implement the decision against Pacle and Pinangay, while the regional director of the Bureau of Local Government Finance-Region 8 was ordered to implement it on Ty. .

The decision states: "Clearly respondents participated in the processing and release of the cash advance to the then Mayor Neil Alvarez for the purchase of the mini dump truck, in their respective official capacities," and that respondents should have known that the payment for such purchase was not a proper subject of a cash advance.

"Even granting that the payment for the purchase of a mini dump truck could be done though cash advance, respondents ought to have known that the mayor was not the proper person to make such cash advance and disburse the proceeds of the same," Cabatingan said.

The case stemmed from an anomalous purchase of a mini dump truck by the Oras local government without public bidding. Even if the three suppliers---Sunstar Motors Corp., Jordan Motors and Sobida Motors Corp.---submitted price quotations on Feb. 5, 2008, still no bidding was conducted.

The Ombudsman said the purchase was found to have not been "coursed through the bids and awards committee and that no public bidding was conducted for the purpose. It appeared that the mode of procurement resorted to by Oras was shopping," the complaint stated.

There was no resolution also from the Municipal General Services Office or the Municipal Council to certify the necessity of such purchase and authorize the mayor to enter into a contract with the winning bidder.

Further, the selected supplier was paid for by the mayor through cash advance, in violation of COA Circular 97-002 because such purchase was considered a "pre-determined expenditure" that was not a valid subject for a cash advance.  (FREEMAN)