By Czarina Nicole Ong-Ki The Office of the Ombudsman has issued a preventive suspension order against Guiuan Mayor Christopher Sheen Gonzales and nine other municipal employees pending the investigation of their case involving the reportedly anomalous implementation of Typhoon Yolanda rehabilitation projects. Gonzales is facing a complaint for grave misconduct, grave abuse of authority, gross neglect of duty, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, and violation of R.A. 6713, otherwise known as the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees. He is facing the complaint together with municipal accountant Adrian Bernardo; municipal treasurer Felicisima Bernardo; municipal engineer and bids and awards committee (BAC) chairperson Arsenio Salamida, BAC vice chairperson Esperanza Cortin, BAC members Danilo Colandog, Gilberto Labicante, Ma. Nenita Ecleo, and Felipe Padual; and BAC technical working group member Zosimo Macabasag were ordered suspended for six months without pay. Guiuan was among the 171 local government units (LGUs) identified by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) to have incurred damages because of Typhoon Yolanda, so it was entitled to the Recovery Assistance on Yolanda (RAY) fund from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). The municipality and DILG entered into a memorandum of agreement for RAY 1 projects on April 8, 2014. The amount of P43 million was approved for the Guiuan municipal hall building while P13 million was for the public market building. The amounts were transferred to the municipality on April 25 and 23, respectively. On February 6, 2015, a second MOA for RAY 2 projects was entered into. This was for the reconstruction of 89 barangay facilities amounting to P152,991,315. A public bidding took place, and three suppliers participated. The abstract indicated that P.S. Labasbas Construction won with the bid amount of P42,976,859.84 for the rehabilitation of the public market building, while the same company won for the construction of the municipal building with the amount of P12,997,355. On March 30, 2015, the BAC passed a resolution recommending the adoption of negotiated procurement for the supply and delivery of construction materials for the barangay facilities. On April 21, the abstract showed that three suppliers participated in the procurement and that EDG Americas Inc. won with the amount of P91,790,031.80. The complaint stated that the local officials did not disclose how the municipality ascertained the technical, legal and financial capabilities of the winning contractors. There was nothing on record to suggest that either of the two submitted reliable documents or that the municipality required them to submit required documents. At the same time, the team of investigators who personally assessed the projects in 51 barangays noted deviations from the program of works (POWs) and approved plans. The deviations were the disparities in the number of structures constructed or storey built, discrepancies in actual areas and dimensions, and deviations in the quantity and type of materials used in the floor, doors, door locks and windows, among other things. After a careful review of the records of the case, the Office of the Ombudsman found sufficient basis to place the respondents under preventive suspension pending investigation of the case. "Without prejudice to the final disposition of the instant case, this office finds that there is a preliminary showing that the evidence of guilt...is strong," the order read. "If proven guilty of the said offense, it would warrant Gonzales, A. Bernardo, F. Bernardo, Salamida, Cortin, Colandog, Labicante, Ecleo, Padual and Macabasag's removal from the service, and that their continued stay in office may prejudice the just, fair and independent disposition of the case filed against them, especially the main respondent, being no less than municipal mayor," it added. The order dated February 12 was penned by Special Prosecutor Edilberto Sandoval with the approval of Ombudsman Samuel Martires. DILG Secretary Eduardo Año has been directed to implement the suspension of the officials upon receipt and provide a report to the Ombudsman five days after implementation.