Ombudsman orders dismissal of Pampanga town mayor, 3 others for anomalous purchases

Pampanga map. INQUIRER FILES

MANILA, Philippines — The Office of the Ombudsman dismissed the mayor of Mexico, Pampanga and three others on Wednesday for grave misconduct in purchasing the municipality’s construction materials.

A 17-page consolidated decision concluded that Mayor Teddy Tumang, municipal accountant Perlita Lagman, municipal engineer and former Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) vice chair Jesus S. Punzalan, and Administrative Officer V and former BAC member Luz C. Bondoc, were found guilty following the anomalous purchases of construction materials.

The mayor and three other local officials were also meted with forfeiture of retirement benefits, perpetual disqualification from holding public office, cancelation of eligibility, and barred from taking civil service examinations.

“The evidence presented is substantial to find respondents liable as all the above-mentioned elements of Grave Misconduct are evidently present when respondents knowingly and intentionally circumvented R.A No. 9184 to make it appear that the purchase of the base coarse and other materials were legal,” the decision said.

A separate consolidated resolution also recommended the filing of 41 counts of violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, by way of conspiracy, against Tumang, Punzalan, Bondoc, BAC chair Marlon Maniacup, BAC members Lucila Agento, Romeo Razon; as well as William Colis, the supplier of the construction materials.

The resolution also recommended the filing of 23 counts of violation of Section 3(e) of RA 3019 and seven counts of violation of Article 217 of the Revised Penal Code against Tumang, Maniacup, Agento, Punzalan, Bondoc, Razon, Lagman, and Colis.

The decision and the resolution were both approved by Special Prosecutor Edilberto G. Sandoval, while Ombudsman Samuel R. Martires inhibited.

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JPV