THE Office upheld on Friday criminal raps against ex-Philippine National Police chief Alan Purisima before the Sandiganbayan over alleged anomalous courier services contract with Werfast Documentation Agency Inc.
Also charged were 11 police officers—Napoleon Estilles, Gil Meneses, Raul Petrasanta, Allan Parreño, Eduardo Acierto, Melchor Reyes, Lenbell Fabia, Sonia Calixto, Nelson Bautista, Ford Tuazon and Ricardo Zapata Jr.—and Werfast incorporators Mario Juan, Salud Bautista, Enrique Valerio, Lorna Perena and Juliana Pasia.
In a 10-page consolidated order, the Ombudsman affirmed the finding of probable cause against the police officials for lack of merit.
It found that Werfast had no corporate existence and juridical personality when the PNP engaged its services through a memorandum of agreement executed in May 2011.
The arrangement authorized Werfast to have the sole responsibility of setting up an online system for firearms license application and delivery.
No public bidding was conducted by Purisima and company, and the agreement was entered into despite Werfast’s lack of track record as a courier service company.
The respondents admitted the documents submitted by Werfast for accreditation were incomplete, meeting only the minimum requirements, giving absolute credence to Werfast’s representation that it had a joint venture with CMIT Consultancy Group Inc. and PhilRem.
Investigation uncovered the company engaged the services of LBC wherein Werfast collected P190 for deliveries within Metro Manila and P290 for outside of Metro Manila when other courier service providers charge only P90 within Metro Manila.
“The document trail-from the execution of the MoA to the issuance of an accreditation policy, subsequent mandatory imposition of courier service fee deliveries, until accreditation of Werfast reveals measures undertaken to mask a long line of violations,” the Ombudsman said.
On the other hand, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales affirmed the indictment of ex-representative Arthur Pingoy of South Cotabato’s District 2 for malversation of public funds, violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act or RA 3019 and direct bribery for the misappropriation of his 2007-2008 Priority Development Assistance Fund of P20.91 million.
In a 36-page order, Morales directed the filing of charges against Pingoy with the Sandiganbayan for two counts of direct bribery and four counts each of malversation and violation of the anti-graft law.
Also charged were former Technology Resource Center officials Antonio Ortiz, Dennis Cunanan, Francisco Figura and Marivic Jover; Department of Budget and Management officials Mario Relampagos, Rosario Nuñez, Marilou Bare, and Lalaine Paule, National Agribusiness Corp. officials Alan Javellana, Rhodora Mendoza, Maria Ninez Guanizo and Victor Cacal, Philippine Social Development Foundation Inc. (PSDFI) employees Evelyn de Leon, Noel Macha, John Raymund de Asis and John Bernardo, along with Janet Lim Napoles and former Energy Regulatory Commission chairperson Zenaida Ducut.
“The finding of probable cause against the aforementioned respondents was based on reasonable belief in light of the facts and circumstances established by the evidence at hand,” the Ombudsman’s decision read.
Pingoy’s pork barrel worth P20.91 million was coursed through PSDFI and Social Development Program for Farmers Foundation Inc., using TRC and NaBCor as implementing agencies.
Pingoy was also found to have pocketed kickbacks of P6.755 million from Napoles.