Go and file case, Treñas dares Pesina
Outgoing Councilor Antonio Pesina has threatened to charge outgoing city mayor and congressman-elect Jerry Treñas over the alleged illegal procurement of 43 sets of firearms donated by the city government to Iloilo City Police Office.
Yesterday, Treñas challenged Pesina to file a case in court if he believes that the purchase of firearms was illegal.
Pesina is just seeking attention, the outgoing mayor said.
For his part, Pesina claimed that the purchase of firearms did not pass the strict scrutiny of the City Council.
In his valedictory speech on Wednesday, Pesina said that a contract to purchase the firearms from Amscor Corp. was not authorized by the City Council.
In fact, he said that the provisions of the Local Government Code cannot be disregarded especially on “check and balance” in the transactions of the city to purchase supplies.
But Councilor Perla Zulueta refuted Pesina’s claims by showing a copy of the Department of Interior and Local Government Opinion No. 9 issued by Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Wencelito Andanar, granting authority to the local governments to purchase supplies without need to seek authorization from the Sanggunian.
Zulueta insisted that the purchase of supplies is provided in the Government Procurement Law and in passing such law, she said it was never the intent of Congress to delay the procurement of supplies and materials for public use and interest.
She said the City Council had already approved the annual budget or the supplemental budget from where the funds were taken for the purchase of supplies and materials, particularly of the said firearms.*
