THE National Bureau of Investigation will summon Social Security System Chairman Dean Amado Valdez and other officials to shed light on the alleged P74-million scam for the printing of “document forms” at the National Printing Office.
Sources at the NBI confirmed to Manila Standard that its Anti-Fraud Division chief, lawyer Irvin Garcia, has issued a subpoena for the SSS chairman and others who could give the bureau information about the alleged NPO anomaly.
The same sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, clarified that Valdez is not a suspect in the irregularities, but merely a resource person whose opinion on the alleged double contract awarded to four security printers could prove vital to investigators.
It was also learned that Valdez, former dean of University of the East College of Law, had requested NBI Director Dante Gieran—his former student—to hasten the bureau’s investigation.
Valdez was scheduled to face the probers on Friday, April 28. But since it was declared a special non-working holiday in light of the country’s hosting of the Asean meetings, it was reset next week.
The bureau has also summoned current and former officials of the NPO to elaborate on the issue.
Reports said the NPO had signed a P74-million contract with Western Visayas Printing Corp. but still granted work orders to a “big three” of printers—Best Forms Security Printer, owned by Benjamin Yam, Tri-Print Work of Ramil Tamayo, and Metro Color of Celso Viray.
In the wake of these reported transactions, NPO Bids and Awards Committee chairman Sherwin Prose Castañeda quit his post along with 10 other BAC officials.
The Presidential Communications Operations Office, through Communications Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Enrique Tandan, has found “sufficient basis” to refer the matter to the NBI for further investigation. The PCOO supervises the National Printing Office.
“The [PCOO] investigation uncovered several irregularities and violations of the Government Procurement Reform Act [or Republic Act 9184] and the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act [RA 3019], among others,” said Tandan.
Castañeda, who is also the NPO’s deputy director, had denied irregularities on the contract.
The NBI will look into allegations on the realignment of the contract to other contractors after it was awarded to the Western Visayas firm, the Standard sources said.
The bureau will also ask Ruben Dancel, former chief of the NPO’s Production Planning and Control Division who has knowledge on the bidding process of the printing contract, to execute his affidavit to determine if the national printer had given due process to the cancellation of Western Visayas’ contract.