2 workers sue La Trinidad officials for misconduct
LA TRINIDAD, Benguet: Municipal officials are now facing a case lodged by suspended municipal employees.
On Dec. 31, 2011, the Office of the Ombudsman for Luzon received an affidavit of complaint filed by Enrique Lando and Norman Simsim against Mayor Greg Abalos Jr. and the entire sangguniang bayan for dishonesty, grave misconduct and for violations of the anti-graft and corrupt practices act.
According to the complainants, “the municipal mayor was not authorized to enter into a MOA and the transaction of the machine was shrouded with anomalies.”
The Memorandum of Agreement between the municipality and the NGO Support System Inc. was signed on May 13, 2011.
The NGO Support System Inc. is a Japanese corporation which manufactured the “Super Blackhole” machine purchased by the municipality as its answer to the growing trash problem.
The machine uses plasma technology and magnets to incinerate and separate the garbage till it turns to ash.
The complainants said, “the procurement process of getting the said Super Black Hole such as bidding as provided with the law were not complied with.
“An advance payment in the amount of P7 million was immediately paid to the supplier of the machine sourced out from the Cooperative Bank of Benguet in the guise of financial assistance but is actually a loan secured by a promissory note signed by the municipal mayor, the terms of which were not divulged to all concerned and the proceeds of which were collected by the municipal mayor through his office personnel Teofilo Langato Jr. by way of an authorization signed by the municipal mayor without the participation of the municipal treasurer and other agencies concerned,” the complainants added.
In a telephone interview, Abalos said, the case is “uncalled for and baseless.”
Meanwhile, Coun. Robert Namoro said, “I don’t think graft was committed.”
According to Namoro, “there was no money which was spent by the municipality, the loan does not yet exist as we are not yet going to pay for the blackhole machine unless conditions are satisfied according to a council resolution related to the payment of the machine.”
“We (the Sanguniang Bayan) are also awaiting reports from the municipal engineers office, as to the performance and the Department of Health, the Department of Science and Technology and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources with regards to its compliance with Republic Act 9003.
On the other hand, Coun. Roderick Awingan said, “we welcome this form of charges and we hope that the truth will see the end of the day.”
It is noted that Simsim of the Municipal Planning and Development Office has been suspended for three years while Lando served a 90-day suspension in 2011.