Bohol execs start serving suspension

TAGBILARAN CITY—Five officials of Bohol province started serving their suspension on Monday, leaving their posts to heed an Ombudsman order penalizing them for the questionable purchase of heavy equipment by the former governor of the province in 2006 and 2009.

The five officials were Vice Gov. Dionisio Balite, provincial administrator Alfonso Damalerio II, drug rehabilitation program head Cesar Tomas Lopez, Vice Mayor Brigido Imboy of the town of Loay and Mayor Jose Veloso of the town of Maribojoc.

They were among eight officials who had authorized then Bohol Gov. Erico Aumentado to open letters of credit with two government banks to purchase heavy equipment worth P160 million.

The Ombudsman deemed the purchase questionable because it was made through letters of credit (LC), violating a memorandum order issued by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo prohibiting the use of LCs to pay local or foreign suppliers.

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales approved the Ombudsman’s order to suspend the officials for nine months on Jan. 16.

Former provincial board members Concepcion Lim, Felix Uy and Freda Tirol were covered by the Ombudsman order but were made to just pay a fine equivalent to nine months of their salaries at the board since they were no longer in government service.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government served the suspension order on Monday. While Balite served his suspension, the most senior among the board members, Venzencio Arcamo, takes over as acting vice governor.

Balite, in a statement, decried the Ombudsman order saying they were just voting on a resolution authorizing Aumentado to secure LCs from Land Bank of the Philippines and sign documents on the heavy equipment deal.

Balite, Lim, Veloso, Uy, Tirol and Imboy were penalized for the purchase of one backhoe worth P9.4 million in 2006 in a deal arranged by Aumentado.

Lopez, Damalerio and again, Imboy, were penalized for the purchase of heavy equipment worth P147 million in 2009 also in a deal facilitated by Aumentado, who died on Dec. 25, 2012, about four years before the Ombudsman issued the suspension order.

Balite said they just acted favorably on Aumentado’s request, made through then Vice Gov. Julius Herrera as presiding officer of the provincial board, for the board to pass a resolution allowing Aumentado to open LCs with Land Bank and Philippine National Bank.

“The job was merely legislative and we had nothing to do with the execution or implementation of contract,” Balite said.

But the Ombudsman said the board members were liable because of their failure to scrutinize the legality of Aumentado’s action.