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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Ex-DPWH official, former Lapu-Lapu City mayor, 11 others guilty in P83.9-M street lighting project

Ex-DPWH official, former Lapu-Lapu City mayor, 11 others guilty in P83.9-M street lighting project

Published Dec 12, 2022 11:40 am

Sandiganbayan

The Sandiganbayan has convicted former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Regional Director Robert G. Lala, former Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Arturo O. Radaza, and 11 others of graft in the P83.935 million contract for a street lighting project.

The street lighting project was undertaken in Lapu-Lapu City for the 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit which Cebu hosted from Jan. 9 to 15 in 2007.

Also convicted were former DPWH Assistant Regional Director Marlina S. Alvizo; Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the Maintenance Division Pureza A. Fernandez; OIC-Assistant Chief of the Maintenance Division Cresencio T. Bagolor; bids and awards committee (BAC) members Agustinito P. Hermoso and Luis A. Galang; technical working group (TWG) members Ayaon S. Manggis, Marilyn A. Ojeda, and Teresa B. Bernido; Lapu-Lapu City Engineer Julito H. Cuizon; Engineer IV Rogelio D. Veloso; and FABMIK Construction and Equipment Supply President Isabelo A. Braza.

They were sentenced to six to 10 years imprisonment with perpetual disqualification from holding public office.

Their guilt was established in the award of Contract ID No. 06HO0050 on Feb. 6, 2007 for the supply and installation of street lighting facilities amounting to P83,935,000.

The prosecution said that the contract was in excess of P18,045,890, since its computation for the project was only P65,889,109.99. At the same time, no public bidding was done for the project, it said.

The Sandiganbayan’s seventh division found credence in the prosecution's evidence and held that all the accused were accountable for graft.

The court did not give weight to the accused’s defense that they were pressed for time and had to resort to an alternative mode of procurement to ensure the safety and security of the ASEAN Summit delegates who will be using the roads.

"The totality of the evidence gives the impression that accused themselves created a situation where they will appear to be pressed for time to give the alleged procurement a semblance of legitimacy," the court said.

It pointed out that Braza already knew of the Summit-related projects as early as Aug. 25, 2006 and has already been preparing for it.

"The prosecution was able to establish the presence of collusion between and among the accused in making it appear that the preparation for the procurement and the award of P83,935,000 contract to FABMIK was regular, proper, and legal, through a bogus negotiated procurement done with manifest partiality in favor of Braza and evident bad faith to the detriment of the public," it said.

The issue of overpricing, the court said, has been "rendered immaterial" given the evidence pointing towards the collusion of the accused.

The 174-page decision promulgated last Dec. 2 was written by Associate Justice Georgina D. Hidalgo with the concurrence of Chairperson Ma. Theresa Dolores C. Gomez-Estoesta and Associate Justice Zaldy V. Trespeses.

TAGS: #Sandiganbayan #Lighting project for 12th ASEAN Summit

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