Capadosa mulls SP probe on P6.2M cellphone scam
Capadosa
While the Syjuco couple has not yet spoken on the controversial cellphone scam, second district Board Member Cecilia Capadosa is contemplating to bring the matter to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan this week.
In media interviews over the weekend, the lady board member hinted that she would call for an investigation in aid of legislation regarding the alleged anomaly.
Capadosa is formerly an ally of Sec. Augusto "Boboy" Syjuco, administrator of Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) when the latter was still congressman of the second district.
Capadosa said that in her initial talks with some barangay captains in her district they denied having received the supposed cellphone units.
She said the people has the right to know the real score about the alleged anomaly as it involves a big amount of people's money.
Provincial administrator Manuel Mejorada, who first exposed the alleged scam, on the other hand, is gathering additional documentary evidences in preparation for the filing of appropriate graft and corruption charges against Rep. Judy Syjuco, her husband Augusto, the supposed cellphone supplier Domingo Samuel Jonathan Ng of West Island Beverage Distributor and other personalities directly involved in the transaction.
Mejorada last week made public documents purporting delivery of 1,582 units of Nokia 1100 mobile phones for the barangays of the second district.
Based on documents Mejorada obtained from the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) the P6.2 million worth of mobile phones was a project of Rep. Syjuco.
An invoice-receipt for property dated February 22, 2005 carried the signature of Mayor Isabelo Maquino of Sta. Barbara town allegedly acknowledging receipt of P6.2 million worth of mobile phones. But Maquino has denied signing the receipt.
Maquino has already asked the assistance of the National Bureau of Investigation to look into the forgery of his signature.
Early last week, the Syjuco camp through their spokesperson lawyer Alex Espino also denied knowledge of the transaction.
Mejorada is accusing Rep. Syjuco and her husband 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.