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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 6 former printing officials acquitted of graft charges

6 former printing officials acquitted of graft charges

Published Aug 5, 2021 10:16 am

Sandiganbayan

Six former officials of the National Printing Office (NPO) have been acquitted of their two graft charges by the Sandiganbayan.

Cleared were former NPO officer-in-charge Director Felipe P. Evardone, bids and awards committee (BAC) Chairperson Marietta Maglaya De Guzman, BAC members Evelyn R. Perlado, Miguel D. Arcadio, and Vicente M. Lago Jr., and head of BAC secretariat Recto S. Tomas Jr.

The Sandiganbayan’s decision written by Associate Justice Karl B. Miranda stated: "After a thorough review of the documentary and testimonial evidence on record, the Court finds that the prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt the guilt of the accused.”

The prosecution alleged that on June 1, 2006, the former NPO officials cancelled without legal basis the April 17, 2006 Notice of Award to Bestforms, Inc. for the printing of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) forms.

The notice was for 52,131 pads of Computerized Official Receipt for P1,783,922.82 and 790 pads of MVMRR LTO Form No. 2 28,174 pads of MVMRR LTO Form No. 2A, and 2,392 pads of Return Receipt for Plates and License for P1,667,862.62.

Thereafter, the prosecution said that the NPO officials entered into an allegedly unjustified negotiated procurement with Ready Forms, Inc. for the printing of computerized official receipts.

It also claimed that on June 13, 2006, a rebidding for the printing of MVMRR LTO Form No. 2, MVMRR LTO Form No. 2A, and Return Receipt for Plates & License and ultimately awarded the printing contracts to Ready Forms instead of completing the post-qualification process on the second bidder with the lowest calculated bid as required by the Government Procurement Law.

In its decision, the anti-graft court said that there was sufficient proof that Bestforms committed several violations of NPO security printing rules, so the accused officials were "rightfully entitled" to revoke the accreditation of Bestforms as a private security printer.

"It is the duty of the NPO Accreditation Committee to ensure that all accredited printers abide with the NPO rules on security printing," the court said.

"It was error for Bestforms to impute manifest partiality and imply that they were singled out by the NPO Accreditation Committee,” it added.

The court’s sixth division Chairperson Sarah Jane T. Fernandez and Associate Justice Kevin Narce B. Vivero concurred in the judgment of acquittal.

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