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Ex-Romblon mayor indicted for anomalous irrigation project
11 December 2015

       Former Looc, Romblon municipal mayor Juliet Ngo-Fiel has been charged with graft before the Sandiganbayan in connection with the blatant irregularities in the bidding of a small scale irrigation project.

       Also facing graft charges for violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act) are members of the Bids and Awards Committee, namely: Solomon Gregorio, Renato Saludaga, Jessie Jomadiao, Wilma Pastor and Rolando Gregorio.

       In affirming the charges, the Office of the Ombudsman held that “the circumstances readily show that respondents conspired and connived with one another in awarding the project.”

       In 2007, the municipality of Looc received a P9million grant from the Department of Agriculture for the rehabilitation of its Small Water Impounding Project. In November 2007, Fiel awarded the contract to the lone bidder R.G. Florentino Construction and Trading (RG Florentino) with a contract price of P8.99 million.  Upon audit, the Commission on Audit discovered several irregularities in the bidding such as lack of certificate of availability of funds; publication for the invitation to bid was paid for by the contractor; non-posting of the invitation to bid in the PhilGEPS; and no valid bid security submitted.

       Respondents claimed good faith and explained that “the municipality was cash-strapped” when it allowed RG Florentino to pay for the publication cost of the invitation to bid.

       According to Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales, “by committing manifest irregularities during the bidding process, respondent BAC members paved the way for the grant of unwarranted benefits, advantage and preference to R.G. Florentino Construction and Trading.”

       Meanwhile, Ngo-Fiel, et. al. had earlier been dismissed from the service in August 2015 in the related administrative case.

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