Iloilo town mayor convicted of graft

ILOILO CITY – A town mayor and five other officials were found guilty of graft for the purchase of P15 million worth of medicines from two companies that were owned by one person.

The Sandiganbayan First Division meted Iloilo Mayor Frankie Locsin of Janiuay town a prison term of at least six years for violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices (Republic Act No. 3019).

Also found guilty were former municipal officials Carlos Moreno Jr. (accountant), Ramon Tirador (budget officer), Luzviminda Figueroa (treasurer) and Ricardo Minurtio (representative of the mayor to the bids and awards committee).

The antigraft court also found guilty Rodrigo Villanueva, president and general manager of the AM-Europharma, and proprietor of Mallix Drug Center.

The offense carries a penalty of imprisonment from a minimum of six years and one day to a maximum of 10 years and perpetual disqualification from public office.

Locsin did not issue a statement when reached by the Inquirer through his cell phone on Tuesday. He said he was still “busy.”

In a 34-page decision promulgated on Feb. 23, the Sandiganbayan said the government officials conspired to give undue advantage to Villanueva in the award of the medicine contract.

The decision was penned by Associate Justice Rodolfo Ponferrrada and concurred in by Associate Justices Efren De La Cruz (division chair) and Rafael Lagos.

The case stemmed from the purchase of medicines in 2001 as part of the rescue and emergency disaster program medical assistance of Sen. Vicente “Tito” Sotto III intended for the municipalities of Iloilo province.

The purchase of medicines and equipment was coursed through the Department of Health (DOH) and the municipality of Janiuay. Locsin was then president of the Iloilo chapter of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines.

But the Commission on Audit (COA) found irregularities in the bidding and delivery of the medical supplies and medicines.

It noted that the project was awarded to two of three bidders, AM-Europharma (P13,191,223) and Mallix Drug Center (P1,744,296), on Jan. 15, 2001, the same day that the bidding was conducted. The medicines were also delivered the next day and were fully paid on Jan. 17, 2001.

The third purported bidder, Phil Pharmawealth Inc., had denied participating in the project, according to the COA report.

In its decision, the Sandiganbayan said the government was unable to secure the lowest possible price because the results of the bidding were ìcontrolledî or ìdictatedî by the owner of the two companies that took part in the bidding.

It also cited findings that AM-Europharma’s accreditation as a supplier was suspended by the DOH when it was allowed to participate in the bidding on Jan. 15, 2001.

The Ombudsman in 2011 found Locsin and four then municipal employees liable in the administrative aspect of the case.

But Locsin was deemed absolved of the administrative case under the Aguinaldo Doctrine after he was reelected mayor in the 2010 elections.