Sandiganbayan suspends Cebu municipal engineer

MANILA, Philippines — The Sandiganbayan Sixth Division has ordered the 90-day preventive suspension of Ronda City, Cebu municipal engineer Oscar M. Pilapil in connection with his ongoing graft charge.

Pilapil is facing 15 counts of graft for his alleged failure to post the invitations for bidding on the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System from 2012 to 2013.

Earlier, the antigraft court asked Pilapil why he should not be suspended.

Pilapil then responded that since he was no longer the chair for the bids and awards committee of the municipality, he should not be suspended since there was no way he could intimidate or influence witnesses or affect the outcome of the case.

Pilapil’s case stemmed from his alleged failure to post bid invitations for 15 projects involving, among others, the construction of the CL School Building at Madanglog Elementary School, procurement for medicines, materials for maintenance of public buildings, materials for the completion of the Butong Health, and the construction of the Langin Barangay Hall.