COA clears Davao City execs on textbooks case

The Commission on Audit has cleared 10 local officials of Davao City of any culpability in connection with the P18 million worth of procurement of textbooks in 2013.

In last month’s decision, COA’s Commission Proper reversed the previous findings of the audit team and the COA-Region 11’s Sept. 8, 2015 decision upholding the disallowance on the purchase of 53,739 copies of Gabay 4, 5 and 6 books in Filipino concerning good manners and right conduct from Rex Book Store Inc.

Earlier, the state auditors issued the notice of disallowance for lack of proof directing that contracting was the only mode of procurement available.

COA challenged the lack of notices about the supply contract on the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System, the city government’s official website or in any conspicuous places in Davao City.

Those who were originally held accountable were bids and awards committee chairman Osmundo Villanueva; BAC members Cerelyn Pinili, Tristan Dwight Domingo, Roberto Alabado III and Roland Reyes; secretariat head Gil Norman Ciudadano; secretariat member Dee Macapundag; acting city administrator Edwin Alparaque; schools division superintendent Helen Paguican, and assistant City General Services Officer Carmelita Bangayan.

They filed a petition with COA for a review of the supply contract, saying the cost per copy of the book was complied with based on the ceiling price set by the Department of Education.

COA chairman Michael Aguinaldo, and Commissioners Jose Fabia and Roland Pondoc ruled in favor of the petitioners and lifted the notice of disallowance.

“(T)he books were copyrighted materials and RBSI was both the exclusive publisher and distributor as evidenced by the Certificates of Copyright Registration and Deposit issued by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts of the National Library, as well as the canvass sheets showing that other bookstores in Davao City do not offer the materials. Thus, the procurement of the books can only be made through RBSI,” the decision read.

“Lastly, there was no damage incurred by the government as the prices offered by RBSI for the subject [books] were the same prices indicated in DepEd Order No. 48,” the commission said.