Ex-Surigao mayor charged over anomalous tractor deal

State prosecutors have charged the former mayor of Cantilan, Surigao del Sur, in the Sandiganbayan over irregularities in the purchase of a farm tractor that did not meet the municipal government’s specifications.

Former Mayor Tomasa Guardo and 12 others face one count of violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act for allegedly causing undue injury to the government from January to April 2005.

Ombudsman prosecutors said the 65-horsepower farm tractor bought for P2.2 million from Golden Harvest Global Corp. should have had the required specifications of 18 forward and two reverse transmission gears, with 1,972-kilogram lifting capacity.

However, the delivered tractor only had eight forward and two reverse transmission gears and a lifting capacity of 1,372 kilograms. Citing the Commission on Audit’s computation, this shortchanged the municipality of P220,000.

Besides the tractor falling short of the municipal government’s specification, prosecutors questioned the municipal officials’ compliance with procurement procedures.

For one, the bids and awards committee failed to conduct a post-qualification of Golden Harvest’s bid before declaring it as the winning bidder for the supply contract.

Meanwhile, when the award of the deal was subject to a motion for reconsideration, the second envelope of Golden Harvest’s bid submission was entrusted to the assistant municipal treasurer who was not a BAC member.

Besides Guardo, also charged were municipal treasurer Anita Paradiang, municipal accountant Ronaldo Gruyal, BAC vice-chairman Augusto Duero, and BAC members Marilou Cosmiano, Ruben Liwagon, D. Urbiztondo Pasco and George Arreza.

Likewise charged were inspection committee chair Reynaldo Orpina, vice-chair Marlyn Plaza, and members Luis Daano and Eutemio Urbiztondo. Golden Harvest president Joseph Sy was charged as well.

Prosecutors recommended that bail be set at P30,000 each.