Surigao mayor gets 8 years for graft

A municipal mayor in Surigao del Norte has been sentenced to eight years in prison along with two others in connection with the allegedly anomalous procurement of heavy equipment worth P13.03 million.

Mayor Peter Ruaya of Dapa town was found guilty of graft along with former municipal budget officer Zosima Cuizon, who also served as chairman of the bids and awards committee, and BAC member Alicia Durero.

In a ruling issued on Aug. 29, the Sandiganbayan said that in 2008, the respondents conspired to award the project to 6-R Mercantile, even as the bidding had yet to be conducted.

The anti-graft court said the respondents gave unwarranted benefits to the supplier and disadvantage to the government.

Aside from imprisonment, the Sandiganbayan disquali- fied Ruaya, Durero and Cuizon from holding public office.

Six other respondents – former municipal councilors Henry Tiu, Kenneth Joel Tiu, Francisco Gonzales, Dionisio Ruaya, Renz Jerald Ruaya and Simfroso Ranza Jr. – were cleared of the case after the prosecution failed to prove them guilty beyond reasonable doubt.

The Office of the Ombudsman, which filed the case in 2011, said the purchase of the equipment was not included in the approved annual procurement plan of the municipality.

The ombudsman said the equipment were shipped and delivered to the municipal government, even before the BAC could conduct the procurement process.

It said the respondents resorted to a negotiated procurement instead of conducting public bidding as required under Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act.

The Sandiganbayan said the defense failed to present evidence to dispute the allegation that no budget was allotted for the procurement.