Bacolod City Legal Officer Allan Zamora formally filed yesterday charges for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act against Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella and others involved in the purchase of an allegedly overpriced Information Technology package given to the different schools in the city.

Included in the case filed before the Office of the Ombudsman are Department of Education regional director Victorino Tirol Jr. and the officers of the Merryland Publishing Corp., the supplier of the IT package. Zamora said he forwarded the complaint to the Ombudsman yesterday after subscribing to it before the City Prosecutor's Office.

The investigation was conducted because of the numerous complaints received by the City Legal Office, particularly that of RGMA Super Radyo anchorman Donard Nojas, who said that records from the Department of Budget and Management show that 38 public schools in 2004 and 33 in 2005 each received an IT package worth P400,000 consisting of two computer units and accessories.

In his complaint, Nojas said the solon had allocated and spent P10.4 million in 2002, P15.2 million in 2004, and P13.2 million in 2005 from his Priority Development Assistance Fund for the purchase of IT equipment.

The investigation report submitted by the legal panel said the IT packages worth P400,000 each, which were distributed by the Congressional Office of Puentevella to the different schools, were overpriced by not less than 50 percent of the contract price.

The report said a locally purchased branded IT computer package with the corresponding CD's and instructional materials, would only cost P130,400, compared to the IT package worth P400,000 distributed to the schools.

In the secondary level, a high-end computer package with pricing of the CD's would only cost P210,000, it said.

The report said there were already 23 computer packages delivered to the high school and 41 to the elementary level. It said there is a possible overprice of P11,053,600 in the purchase of IT packages for the elementary level, and P4,370,000 in the secondary level. There were also schools that have not yet received the computer package, but their officials were made to sign documents for the delivery of computers, it added.

The report also said the acquisition of overpriced computer packages is a clear violation of the law, particularly R.A. 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Meanwhile, Tirol said he does not want to make any comment since he does not want to be misunderstood of either favoring or disfavoring any political party since it is election time.*CGS

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