The Sandiganbayan on Monday received another complaint in connection with the fertilizer fund scam that was allegedly committed a decade and a half ago.
The Ombudsman filed charges against the former mayor of Lazi, Siquijor, who allegedly purchased fertilizers amounting to P7.68 million without complying with government procurement rules.
In their complaint, Ombudsman prosecutors alleged that former Mayor Orville Fua violated Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
The charge sheet was signed by Graft Investigation and Prosecution Officer II Alteza Anoso.
Others indicted by the Ombudsman are the town’s officials at the time–Municipal Accountant Ana Marie Leilani Monte, Municipal Treasurer Rose Marie Tomogsoc, Bids and Awards Committee Chairman Ivan Marchan, BAC members Natalio Jumawan Jr. and Sue Agnes Castillon, and Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator Teodoro Jumadla Jr.
In the case filed at the anti-graft court’s Fourth Division, Perzebros Company representatives Nancy and Pompey Perez were included as private respondents.
The town officials led by Fua were accused of giving undue advantage to Perzebros Company in 2005 for the purchase of 1,866 liters of VITACROP liquid organic at P1,500 per liter-bottle, or a total price tag of P2.687 million.
They were also accused of favoring Mangopina Trading Company Inc., through its representatives Yolanda Milne and Merlyn Lu, for the procurement of 2,096 bottles of MRG liquid fertilizers and 1,258 bags of DEL GRO super foliar fertilizers for P4.99 million in 2004. This case was raffled off to the Third Division.
The complaint said both transactions pushed even if the alleged procurement process, such as the premature issuance of the purchase requests, reference to brand names, lack of performance security bond, and the lack of proof of the project’s implementation, was allegedly questionable.
A bail of P30,000 for each graft charge has been recommended for all the accused.