By Czarina Nicole O. Ong
Cagayan De Oro City Mayor Oscar Moreno, formerly the provincial governor of Misamis Oriental, has been charged with graft before the Sandiganbayan due to the reportedly anomalous lease of one excavator from December, 2007 to July, 2008.
In the charge sheet filed by Assistant Special Prosecutor III Jorge B. Espinal, Moreno was accused of violating Section 3(e) of RA 3019, also known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, together with former acting provincial budget officer Elmet Wabe, acting provincial accountant Divina Bade, and assistant provincial engineer Rolando Pacuribot – all were members of the bids and awards committee (BAC).
From December 1 to December 31, 2007 and January 1 to 31, 2008, Moreno and his co-accused acted "with evident bad faith, manifest partiality and gross inexcusable negligence" when they awarded the lease or rental of one excavator to Equiprent Corporation worth P4,040,400.
They awarded it "despite the lack of a public bidding and in the absence of any of the conditions provided under RA 9184," said Espinal.
The accused resorted to the alternative mode of procurement, which is negotiated procurement. As a result, their actions caused undue injury to the government in the said amount.
Their bail bond has been set at P30,000 each.
Just this January, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales ordered the dismissal of Moreno and his co-accused after they were found guilty of grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service and has ordered their dismissal from service.
Their dismissal stemmed from the reportedly anomalous lease agreements the government had with Equiprent Corporation for the use of heavy equipment totaling R2,963,520 from October, 2009 to October, 2010.