COA names 2 firms, urges Dumangas execs to heed 'blacklist' call
Two firms doing business in the Municipality of Dumangas, Iloilo has been recommended by government auditors to be 'blacklisted' for questionable dealings here.
Subject of the latest Annual Audit Report, the Commission on Audit (COA) identified the companies as RJR Marketing and Mica Electrical and Construction Supply.
The COA discovered significant discrepancies in documents leading back to said firms relative to its transactions with the Dumangas Municipal Government.
Particular reference was made on town's purchase of materials for the repainting of the stage and covered gymnasium. The payment, the COA found out, was not made to the supplier who supposedly won the deal. And as per the Commission's validation, there appeared to be collusion on the two named firms.
"The agency (referring to Dumangas Municipal Government) used the shopping mode of procurement and canvassed prices for the materials from 3 suppliers, namely Mica Electrical and Construction Supply, RJR Marketing and VN Grande Builders and Supply. RJ Marketing submitted the lowest prices and was awarded the contract... however the attached charge invoice and official receipt are those of Mica Electrical and Construction Supply...," excerpts of the COA report as obtained by The News Today (TNT) went.
State auditors "strongly recommended" that concerned town officials explain the major discrepancy.
"Justifications should also be made as to the reasons why payment was made to a supplier other than that which was awarded the contract," the report continued.
Further still, COA called for the blacklisting of the two firms from future procurements and wants an official investigation to ascertain doubts of collusion.
Meantime, more doubts too on the town's purchase of 13 cellular phones for use of department heads here. COA in this transaction wants former mayor Rolly Distura to explain the discrepancy.
Three "internal control points/deficiencies" were noted by COA among which was the non-conformity of the specifications stated in the Purchase Request and Bidder's Tender.
"Further verification conducted by the audit team revealed that the units received by the department heads do not have 3G and video calling capabilities and are not tri-band GSM phones, contrary to the specifications stated... submitted by the supplier, AM's Trading," the report went.
More questions too following the failure of a "spot inspection" of the delivered phones "due to incomplete data."