Ex-Eastern Samar mayor indicted over purchase of P3.8-M firetruck

A former mayor of Oras, Eastern Samar has been indicted at the Sandiganbayan over the alleged illegal purchase of a P3.8-million firetruck.

The Office of the Ombudsman, through Assistant Special Prosecutor III Jorge Espinal, filed one count of violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act against former Mayor Neil Maiso Alvarez.

Alvarez is accused of causing undue injury to the government when he purchased a re-manufactured firetruck from Viz-Ma Trading or from a certain Danilo Mabilangan Sr. in 2006 for the price of P3.8 million.

The contract supposedly failed to undergo public bidding, while Alvarez was unable to justify why he resorted to an alternative mode of purchase.

Viz-Ma Trading still received the payment despite irregularities in the procurement activity, according to the charge sheet.

A bail bond of P30,000 has been recommended for Alvarez’s provisional liberty. — MDM, GMA News