Dumptruck complainants file position paper to Ombudsman
BACOLOD CITY -- Complainants in the Ombudsman case against Mayor Evelio Leonardia and six other city officials relative to the alleged irregular procurement of 10 dumptrucks already submitted their position paper to the investigating body.
Complainants Richard C. Sason and Roli L. Vera, taxpayers and both resident of Bacolod City, alleged that the Local Chief Executive along with some members of the Bids and Awards Committee led by Atty. Goldwyn Nifras were in complexity with each other, with deliberate intent to gain and defraud the City Government of P1,145,000 in the procurement of 10 units of 6-wheeler dumptrucks.
They also alleged that all the bidders who participated in the public bidding for the acquisition of the 10 dumptrucks have deficiencies in eligibility requirements pursuant to IRR-A of R.A 9184, Section 236 and Executive Order No. 308.
Record shows that there were several participating bidders for the 6-wheeler dump trucks but they did not specify the brand and model of the particular dump trucks they are offering to the city.
Transcor Motors offered P764,000 per unit of 6-wheeler dump truck as the lowest complying and responsive bid while Commercial Motors Corporation has a bid price of P895,000 per unit. However, the Notice of Award was given to Commercial Motors Corporation.
The Notice of Bidding result and the Notice of Award were all signed by Mayor Leonardia. Respondent Evelio Leonardia also signed the purchase order no. 1458-07 dated 16 January 2008, sealing the transaction with Commercial Motors Corporation.
The Purchase Order (P.O) was delivered personally by one of the trusted employees of Mayor Leonardia directly to Commercial Motors Corporation, Mercedez Avenue, San Miguel, Pasig City Metro Manila. It was received by Commercial Motors Corporation on January 27, 2008 which was Sunday.
The alleged irregularities was first discovered by TV anchorman Franklin Villanueva who conducted his own investigation. Villanueva took a recorded interview with a certain Mr. Balasang, Sales Supervisor of Commercial Motors at Pasig City, who said that there was an overprice in the transaction between the public officials of Bacolod City and that of the management of Commercial Motors Corporation.
Villanueva also discovered that the actual price at their depot is only P750,000 per unit.
Mayor Leonardia, as alleged by the two complainants, immediately directed the late City Legal Officer Atty. Allan Zamora to conduct a probe on the alleged anomaly.
Zamora pronounced that the evidence gathered by Villanueva was illegal and could not be accepted as evidence. Complainants Sason and Vera believed that the purpose of the investigation was to protect the City Mayor and the BAC chairman and members and not to find who among the city officials are accountable in the mess.