Bohol state university president, 3 others face raps over dump truck purchase

The Office of the Ombudsman ordered the filing of criminal charges against Bohol Island State University (BISU) president Elpidio Magante and three other officials over the alleged anomalous procurement in 2009 of a mini dump truck worth P402,800. 

In a resolution recently signed by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, charges of violation of the Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act and falsification of public documents under Article 171 of the Revised Penal Code were ordered filed against Magante before the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan.

Also ordered charged with the same offenses were BISU director Lorenzo Sarigumba, dean Ambrosia Orillos and instructor Alan Jaum.

Aside from the filing of criminal charges, the Ombudsman also ordered the dismissal from service of the four officials for administrative offense of grave misconduct.

The Ombudsman also ordered the cancellation of their eligibility, forfeiture of their retirement benefits as well as their perpetual disqualification from holding public office.

They were also ordered barred from taking the civil service examination.

The Ombudsman has directed the BISU Board of Regents and the Commission on Higher Education to immediately implement the administrative sanctions.

Based on the Ombudsman’s investigation, the respondents illegally resulted in “shopping” or splitting a procurement deal into several contracts to avoid the required public bidding.

The Ombudsman gave weight on a Commission on Audit report, which stated that the concerned BISU officials have split the procurement of the mini dump truck into two contracts to circumvent public bidding required under the Government Procurement Reform Act.

“Shopping was illegally resorted to by splitting of contracts for the purpose of evading or circumventing the requirements of R.A. No. 9184. The two purported sets of transactions allegedly intended for assembling mini dump truck were only scheme for the acquisition of one unit mini dump truck,” the Ombudsman said in its resolution. — VVP, GMA News