Only one DPWH official told to resign in wake of lamppost case

ONLY one official of the Department of Public Works and Highways in Central Visayas (DPWH-7) was ordered to resign after being implicated in the 2007 overpriced purchase of lampposts in Metro Cebu.

In a letter to the Ombudsman-Visayas, Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson said the other eight officials already retired. They included former DPWH-7 regional chief Robert Lala.

Only regional legal officer Augustinito Hermoso received the order to vacate his post while Lala, Gloria Dindin, Marlina Alvizo, Pureza Fernandez, Cresencio Bagolor, Luis Galang, Restitutu Diano and Buenaventura Pajo already retired from service.

Still, Asst. Ombudsman Virginia Palanca-Santiago said she will send another letter to Singson mandating that the retired DPWH officials will be sanctioned with perpetual disqualification from public office and forfeiture of benefits.

“I’ll be preparing the letter. Although they already retired, they were meted a penalty of dismissal from service, which carries inherent penalties,” Santiago said.

The Court of Appeals (CA) earlier upheld the dismissal of 14 public officials found guilty for the overpriced purchase of 1,800  lampposts in the cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu.

Nine respondents came from the DPWH-7. The ruling is immediately executory although it  can be contested.

The decorative lampposts were installed in time for the 2007 Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit held in Cebu.

Santiago said she will furnish copies of the decision to the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

She said there were instances in the past when three dismissed public officials managed to run and win in the elections.

Also dismissed from government service were local government engineers Hedelisa Latonio, Gregorio Omo, Mario Gerolaga, Julito Cuizon and Rogelio Veloso. All were found guilty of grave misconduct.

Rosalina Denque, an engineer of Mandaue City, was found guilty of neglect of duty and meted a six-month suspension without pay.  The anti-graft office said the cost of each  lamppost  was overpriced by almost 10 times its actual cost.

Provincial Board (PB) Member Thadeo Ouano, whose term as Mandaue City mayor ended in 2007, was also found guilty of grave misconduct.

Lapu-Lapu Rep. Arturo Radaza, then mayor of Lapu-Lapu City, was earlier among the respondents in the administrative complaint.  However, he was eventually dropped from the case since he was re-elected to office.

Under the Aguinaldo Doctrine, a public official can’t be held administratively liable for misconduct done during his prior term since reelection in effect condones the previous misconduct.

The criminal charges against the officials, including Ouano and Radaza, are pending before the Sandiganbayan.

Santiago said the anti-graft office has yet to send letters to Mayors Jonas Cortes and Paz Radaza of the cities of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu respectively to enforce the sanctions on the former officials and their predecessors. Reporter Ador Vincent Mayol