Ex-Cavite governor indicted for graft over medicine purchase
By John Carlo Cahinhinan
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
THE Office of the Ombudsman has found probable cause to file graft charges against former Cavite governor Ireneo "Ayong" Maliksi in connection with the purchase of P2.5 million worth of medical supplies in 2003.
In a news release, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales said Maliksi gave unwarranted advantage or preference to the supplier, Allied Pharmaceutical Laboratories Inc., which was awarded the government contract without public bidding and without proving that among the suppliers, its medicines cost the cheapest.
In 2003, the province of Cavite entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) for the purchase of medicine under a P10 million grant, the first tranche of P2.5 million was released to the province on February 4, 2003.
However, the Ombudsman found out that no public bidding was conducted and the supporting documents (Purchase Request, Purchase Order, and Inspection and Acceptance Report) show that the procurement was made three months prior to the release of the first tranche.
On Maliksi's explanation on the resort to emergency purchase, Morales found "no imminent danger to life and/or property that ought to have been prevented" when the medicines were purchased in time for the Barangay Health Workers (BHW) National Convention in November 2002.
Read More
Social Plugin