P6.2M question: Where are the cellphones?
The camp of Iloilo 2nd District Representative Judy Syjuco has denied knowledge on the anomalous delivery of over a thousand mobile phone units supposedly intended for the barangays.
"What phones? (Rep.) Syjuco has no idea of that," Lawyer Alex Espino, Syjuco's spokesperson, said Wednesday morning in an interview with Aksyon Radyo-Iloilo, the local station of Manila Broadcasting Company. The interview lasted about 30 minutes, with Espino and Provincial Administrator Manuel Mejorada arguing over the transaction.
An exasperated Espino declared over the air that "there's no point arguing with Boy Mejorada, who has illusions of grandeur, (and with) paranoia."
The denial came a day after Mejorada and Mayor Isabelo Maquino of Sta. Barbara town made public documents purporting delivery of 1,582 units of Nokia 1100 mobile phones. An invoice-receipt for property dated February 22, 2005 carried the signature of Maquino allegedly acknowledging receipt of P6.2 million worth of mobile phones. Maquino has denied signing the receipt.
Maquino came to know of the forgery when he received a letter from the Commission on Audit requesting confirmation of the receipt of the delivery. Sta. Barbara municipal administrator Glenn Beup told The News Today that Maquino has already told the COA head office that he has not received the mobile phone units.
Lawyer Eduardo Jalbuna, Maquino's counsel, said over the radio that the forgery of his client's signature is so apparent that it can be seen at first glance.
Maquino has already asked the assistance of the National Bureau of Investigation to look into the forgery of his signature.
At the same time, Espino pledged support for Maquino in unmasking the persons behind the forgery.
"I'm with Mayor Maquino," he stressed.
Likewise, Espino said that they will sue Mejorada for libel for coming up with baseless accusations against Syjuco at 'the soonest time possible.' They will file a criminal complaint once they have secured on-air tapes of Mejorada's statements against Syjuco.
Mejorada, on the other hand, said that he will not be cowed in to Espino's threats of a libel suit.
"If that is their own way of gagging me, I will not give in to them," he countered.
Mejorada is accusing Iloilo 2nd District Representative Judy Syjuco and the Department of Transportation and Communications of having a hand in the anomaly.
"Either there was an outright ghost delivery (of the mobile phones) and that it was converted to cash, or the units were indeed delivered but that they are keeping it only to be delivered come election time," Mejorada said of the two possibilities.
"They intended to hide the purchase that's why they forged the signature (of Maquino)," he remarked.
The fact that the mobile phones were bought from a beverage distributor makes the transaction more anomalous, Mejorada added.
According to the documents, the phones were procured from West Island Beverage Distributor, which is owned by a Domingo Samuel Jonathan Ng, on February 22, 2005. There was no bidding conducted, instead the DOTC resorted to the so-called 'alternative method of procurement,' commonly known as direct purchase from a sole distributor.
The documents further show that the DOTC realigned the P3 million intended for information technology equipment and software for municipal telecenters in Region 6 (Western Visayas) for the purchase of the communications equipment.
The remaining P3.2 million was sourced from realigned budget intended for the construction of airports and navigational facilities, and ports and lighthouses in various parts of the country.