5 Sipalay officials suspended

BACOLOD CITY—Five officials of the Sipalay City government in Negros Occidental have been suspended for three months for negligence when they bought overpriced medicines in 2001.

Sipalay Mayor Oscar Montilla implemented the order of the Office of the Ombudsman to suspend city accountant Eva Sabusap, city budget officer Fernando Balbin, city health officer Noel Villanueva, city treasurer Renato Manilla and revenue collection officer Evangeline Señeres on Wednesday.

The antigraft body found the five officials guilty of negligence in the performance of official duties for buying medicines at 100-600 percent more than the prevailing market price. It ordered their suspension in 2008, but the officials filed a motion for reconsideration which the Ombudsman denied in August 2011 “for lack of plausible reason.”

A complaint filed by the People’s Graft Watch on July 1, 2002, accused the five of violating the law when they purchased P784,981.75 worth of overpriced medicines and supplies.

According to the complaint, Villanueva, as city health officer, requested for the emergency purchase of medicine and supplies in November 2001 for residents of Barangay San Jose who developed respiratory illnesses from air pollution coming from an abandoned site of Maricalum Mines.

The complaint said the purchase was falsely based, pointing out that the dust pollution did not happen until January or February 2002. The respondents, however, told the Ombudsman that the deal prevented any loss of lives and therefore did not cause injury to the city.

In its suspension order, the Ombudsman said the city treasury was the one “injured” because of the overprice. “The respondents’ failure to discern that they were buying those items at very expensive prices is so disturbing, if not suspicious,” it said.

It added: “The nature of an emergency purchase should not be abused and this is the message we are sending here.”