Puerto Princesa mayor faces graft raps over P263-M deal

An anticorruption crusader has asked the Office of Ombudsman to indict Puerto Princesa Mayor Lucilo Bayron and 16 other officials for allegedly rigging the recent purchase of P263 million worth of construction equipment.

In a complaint filed on Tuesday, ZeroTolerance.org chair Danilo Hassan questioned the contract awarded by Bayron to winning bidder RDAK Transport Equipment in March for the purchase of dump trucks, tractors and other heavy farm equipment for irregularities.

In September last year, the city council passed an ordinance appropriating funds for the acquisition of several pieces of heavy equipment, but it was declared a failure because no bids were received.

Bayron then allegedly allowed a renegotiated bidding to take place, but the budget was also subsequently reduced to cover just 45 items from the original 60, including several dump trucks, fuel tanks and other farm equipment, according to the complaint.

“Clearly, the actual number of units to be purchased was decreased by 15 units when the same was subjected to a bidding last March 15, 2016, and that the price of the heavy equipment subjected to the bidding is not in accordance with the approved budget for the contract (ABC) under Appropriation Ordinance No. 04 2015,” according to the complaint.

It said that despite the number of purchases being reduced, the price remained constant.

Hassan further accused Bayron of asking the city council to cover up the alleged violations by amending the ordinance.

“However, regardless of the amendment to be made in the ordinance, the same will no longer cure the violation committed by the respondents which is very apparent in this case,” Hassan said in the complaint.

“In the present case, it is apparent that the respondents forced the contract even though it contravenes the earlier ordinance issued by the city council,” he said.

Hassan said the respondents violated the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act by entering into a contract that was disadvantageous to the government.

He said they also violated the Government Procurement Reform Act by bidding out items with no approved budget in the appropriations ordinance.

Also named respondents were city administrator Elena Rodriguez, city treasurer Jerome Padrones, five members of Puerto Princesa’s bids and awards committee, six members of the technical working group and three other members of the mandatory review team.