Negros Oriental vice mayor ordered suspended over misconduct

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales has ordered the nine-month suspension of Tanjay City, Negros Oriental vice mayor Lawrence Teves after he was found guilty of simple misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of service in connection with the procurement of repair materials he approved as mayor.

The Ombudsman also ordered the nine-month suspension of Punong Barangay Denver Bokingkito and General Services Officer Bogard Colina, with a warning that “a repetition or commission of the same or similar offense would be dealt with more severely.”

The suspension of Teves and the two other officials came after investigators from the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman in the Visayas found that they procured construction materials worth P280,876.34 for the repair of canals in Barangays 5 and 6.

Documents, however, showed Teves resorted to Small Value Procurement without coursing the project through the Bids and Awards Committee.

In his defense, Teves claimed that he approved the purchase “believing that it will ultimately redound to the benefit of the city’s constituents.”

Teves, Bokingkito, Colina and former Sangguniang Kabataan Federation President Mar Francis Saguran have been charged with violation of Section 3 (e) of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act in connection with the project.

In her resolution, Morales said Teves and the other respondents should have complied with the procurement requirements stated in Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act “may it be public bidding or under the alternative method of procurement.”

She said it was “totally unacceptable” that the government officials, particularly Teves as the then-mayor, did not follow the law as “respondents were expected to know the law and implement it to the letter.” —KBK, GMA News