[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’More raps vs Puentevella?’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY MAE SINGUAY
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
BACOLOD City – Former mayor Monico Puentevella may soon face charges before the Sandiganbayan for allegedly mishandling P36 million for the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games that this city hosted in 2005, a city government aide claimed.
Sammy Montoyo based his claim on reports from Manila-based news websites about recent Commission on Audit (COA) findings on the spending of the Bacolod Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (BASOC).
The Office of the Ombudsman may now charge Puentevella and then BASOC secretary-general Eric Loretizo with technical malversation, the executive assistant said.
Montoyo, also the chairman of Save Bacolod Movement, hauled Puentevella to the Ombudsman on May 9, 2014. When he followed up the case, Montoyo said he was told the anti-graft body was still awaiting the COA audit.
COA chairman Michael Aguinaldo and commissioners Isabel Agito and Jose Fabia affirmed a notice of disallowance issued by a Philippine Sports Commission supervising auditor, who reported that bidding procedures were not completely followed for contracts awarded by the BASOC in 2005.
The disallowed expenses amounted to P36,778,105.44.
The state auditor issued the notice of disallowance on Jan. 30, 2014, citing insufficient documents to prove that proper processes were observed, including the lack of public bidding or approved budgets, or proof that the projects were duly delivered.
Puentevella received the P50.5 million funding from the PSC and signed contracts, while Loretizo approved the payment to contractors for infrastructure projects.
Puentevella appealed the ruling, saying there was not enough time to follow all the procedures and the size of the major sporting event justified doing away with the requirements of direct contracting.
The COA disagreed. “(Their) failure to submit the required documents bars the application of the principle of quantum meruit,” it said. “Since the reasonable value could not be determined for lack of documentary requirements, the principle of quantum meruit cannot apply.”
Proper documents must be submitted even if public bidding is waived, the COA said.
“Considering that petitioner was signatory to the various infrastructure contracts, he should be made liable for the disallowance,” the media reports quoted the COA ruling. “Further, since no timely appeal has been filed by Mr. Loretizo, who is among the persons held liable…the disallowance has already become final as to him.”
Puentevella said nothing is final yet. “That’s only disallowance,” he said in a text message. “May (motion for) recon (reconsideration) pa na.” He also described all these reports as “black propa (propaganda).”
“What is important is that the games happened in Bacolod and Philippines won for the first time in history,” the former mayor said. “I will be cleared in due time.”/PN
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
