Former Davao Water execs charged with graft

The Office of the Ombudsman has filed graft charges against former executives of the Davao City Water District (DCWD) for awarding a project to a contractor without public bidding almost two decades ago.

Charged were former DCWD general manager Wilfredo Carbonquillo, assistant manager Wilfred Yamson, department manager Rey Chavez, assistant general manager Alfonso Laid, division manager Rosindo Almmonte, department manager Arnold Navales, and department manager William Guillen.

They were charged before the Sandiganbayan for violating Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act 3019).

The Ombudsman filed the case in connection with the VES-15 project that was undertaken by the Hydrock Wells Inc. from 1997 to 1998.

The former DCWD executives were accused of having had conspired in awarding Hydrock the project through a negotiated contract and without the required competitive bidding.

The Ombudsman also said that Hydrock was already deployed to the project even before the notice of award of the contract could be issued.

The Sandiganbayan Third Division earlier issued a March 26 decision that found Laid, Almonte, Guillen, Chavez, and Navales guilty of violating Section 3(e) of RA 3019 in connection with the VES 21 well drilling project amounting to that was awarded also to Hydrock in 1998.

In its decision, the Third Division pointed out that "the documentary evidence proved that there was no public bidding when the contract for the VES 21 project was awarded to Hydrock Wells, Inc." which was also in violation of Presidential Decree 1594.

The graft court added that "accused acted with evident bad faith when they allowed Hydrock Wells, Inc. to start undertaking the project prior to the issuance of the notice of award and notice to proceed."

"The notice of award in favor of Hydrock was issued on February 13, 1998 while the notice to proceed was issued on February 20, 1998. On the other hand, the contract was notarized on February 19, 1998," the court noted.

On the other hand, Carbonquillo and Yamson have remained at large and, because of this, the tribunal ordered the case against them archived and be revived upon their arrest.