6 ex-officials face trial over P26M Cebu City condo

The trial of the graft case against former Cebu City councilor Rodolfo Cabrera and five others before the Sandiganbayan will continue. The anti-graft court’s Second Division denied the motion of Cabrera, who sought to send the case back to the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas for reinvestigation.

“After a careful study, the court rules that the omnibus motion of Cabrera is unwarranted... (the motion) was filed more than four years from the time he was notified of the filing of the case against him,” read the Sandiganbayan’s resolution penned by Associate Justice Oscar Herrera Jr.

Cabrera and five former City Hall officials are facing graft charges before the Sandiganbayan in connection with an allegedly overpriced socialized housing project worth P23.9 million in 1997.

Apart from Cabrera, also named respondents were former Cebu City mayor Alvin Garcia, and former councilors Laurito Malinao, and Rico Rey Holganza; city treasurer Eustaqio Cesa, and Pura Cimafranca, a private representative.

Cabrera, Malinao, Holganza, and Cesa served as members of the bids and awards committee.

The Office of the Ombudsman said that the contract with Octa Builders Inc. for the construction of a condominium project—now known as the Cebu City Condominium—was “manifestly and grossly disadvantageous” to the City.

According to the Commission on Audit (COA), the contract awarded to Octa Builders Inc. was overpriced and the amount was determined solely by the contractor.

The contract price amounted to P26.64 million, which is 49.54 percent higher than the COA estimate of P17.81 million.

The contractor was also not qualified, the Ombudsman said, as it “lacked the requisite capital, experience and license to undertake the construction.”

The contract amount was also pegged without an approved agency estimate and without prior approval from the Cebu City Development Council. /