Former PNP chief, 20 others charged over defective rubber boats

MANILA, Philippines—Twenty-one persons, including top retired and active officials of the Philippine National Police, have been charged with graft in connection with the PNP’s purchase in 2009 of defective rubber boats and outboard motors that were incompatible with each other.

In a belated announcement, the PNP’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group  said it charged former PNP chief Jesus Versoza, 15 other police officials, two civilian employees and three suppliers involved in the P131.5 million contract.

The 21 face charges of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and falsifying documents before the Office of the Ombudsman. The charges were filed on October 6, but the CIDG announced it only on Saturday.

The complaint stemmed from the negotiated PNP procurement of 75 rubber boats and 18 spare outboard motors intended for the use of the PNP Maritime Group in the aftermath Tropical Storm Ondoy in 2009.

In a statement, CIDG Director Samuel D. Pagdilao Jr. said the CIDG, which was tasked to probe the anomaly first exposed by Interior Secretary Jesse M. Robredo, found “defects and functional incompatibility” in the 75 Zodiac FC 470 Futura commando rubber boats that were delivered that year.

Charged in the 73-page complaint were Verzosa, Deputy Director General Benjamin Belarmino Jr., retired Deputy Director General Jefferson Soriano, retired Director Luizo C. Ticman, retired Director Romeo Hilomen, Director George Piano, Chief Supt. Herold Ubalde, Chief Supt. Luis Saligumba, Senior Supt. Job Nolan Antonio, Superintendents Edgar Pataan, Joel Garcia, Ermiliando Villafuerte, Roman Loreto and Henry Duque; Chief Inspector Ronald Lee, SPO3 Maria Linda Padojinog, and civilian employees Ruben Gonggona and Marife Dungca.

Also charged as co-conspirators were the suppliers: Harold Ong of Enviro Aire, Senen Arabaca of Geneve SA Philippines and Alex Tayao of Bay Industrial Philippines.

Pagdilao said defects were particularly noted on the 41 rubber boats delivered by the supplier Geneve SA Philippines, which could not be fitted with the 60-horsepower engines supplied by Enviro-Aire.

“The police rubber boats can be utilized only with the use of paddles thereby defeating the purpose of which they were programmed for Internal Security Operations, which means that the boats should be fit for sea and in-land water patrols,” he said.

“The PNP paid the Geneve SA Philippines with an amount of more than P45.2-million for the defective rubber boats that the Maritime Group cannot use,” he said.

Pagdilao said the CIDG found out prima facie evidence that the respondents committed violations of the anti-graft law.

The suppliers, he said, “conspired” with the police officials during the negotiation by dictating the pricing and the number of patrol boats and outboard motors and their accessories that each supplier would deliver.

He said that it was apparently agreed upon at that meeting that 24  patrol boats would be delivered by Enviro Aire, 10 by Bay Industries Philippines and 41 by the Geneve SA Philippines.

In the same statement, Robredo noted that the entire process appeared to “avoid public bidding so that contracts can be awarded to the three favored suppliers.”