Ex-Pasay mayor faces raps for mall project
Former Pasay City Mayor Wenceslao “Peewee” Trinidad is facing charges for his participation in the allegedly anomalous bidding for the construction of the P500-million Pasay City Mall and Market.
Acting Ombudsman Orlando Casimiro also ordered the filing of charges against former city councilor Jose Antonio Roxas and bids and awards committee (BAC) representatives Joselito Manabat and Alexander Ramos for violating the antigraft law in relation to the Government Procurement Act, and the Revised Penal Code provision against exercising duties beyond the required period.
The Office of the Ombudsman said Trinidad led the Pasay City BAC that awarded the project to Izumo Contractors Inc., the lowest bidder, in January 2004.
Under the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the procurement law, the head of the procuring agency is not allowed to sit as a member of the BAC, it said.
The invitation to prequalify and bid for the project was issued on Oct. 3, 2003, five days before the IRR took effect. But the publication of the invitation was postponed pending the city council’s approval of an ordinance providing the budget for the project.
The ordinance was issued on Oct. 21, 2003. Trinidad issued a second invitation to prequalify and bid on Oct. 23.
On January 2004, Trinidad convened a meeting with members of the previous BAC.
According to the Office of the Ombudsman, members of the new BAC constituted on Dec. 29, 2003, should have conducted the bidding, and not the old BAC.
