TIT-FOR-TAT

LINGAYEN–The mayor of Bayambang filed an administrative complaint at the provincial board against the town’s vice mayor and five councilors for grave misconduct and dishonesty with prayer for preventive suspension.

Accused in Mayor Ricardo Camacho’s complaint dated May 13 were Vice Mayor Mylvin Junio and Councilors Raul Sabangan, Allan de Vera, Gerardo Flores, Joseph Vincent Ramos and Levin Uy.

The mayor alleged that after they filed their affidavit complaint with the Office of the Ombudsman against him, “the respondents called for a press conference attended by reporters from the print, TV and broadcast media where they made defamatory imputations that the undersigned (the mayor) committed violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, malversation under Article 217 of the Revised Penal Code, and Section 7 (a) of Republic Act No. 6713 otherwise known as the “Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees “.

Mr. Camacho was charged by the six respondents at the Office of the Ombudsman on April 14 for the purchase of a luxury van using municipal funds allegedly without bidding and authority to purchase the same.

In their complaint, the vice mayor and the five councilors said that on Feb. 27, 2013, the mayor purchased from Pedro Mabulay, a resident of Barangay Duera, Bayambang a second-hand Toyota Granvia for P380,000 without public bidding. They added that to the best of their knowledge, the committee of Award of the Municipality has also not given the mayor any authority to purchase the vehicle.

But Mr. Camacho, in the administrative complaint he filed at the provincial board said, “The execution of the affidavit complaint by the respondents and the publication of the same constitute the crime of perjury and libel defined under the Article 183 and Article 353 in relation to Article 355 of the Revised Penal Code.

The mayor cited the approved Appropriation Ordinance 1 Series of 2012 of the municipality of Bayambang that included a fund allotted for the Capital Outlay (Purchase of Motor Vehicle) under the Office of the Mayor amounting to P1.5-million.

He disclosed that the Bids and Awards Committee posted notices of public bidding for the purchase of vehicle by the Office of the Mayor in three conspicuous places in the premises of the town’s municipal hall.

He also claimed a notice of invitation to bid was published in a newspaper of general circulation in the province.

Yet, “no bidders came to participate in the scheduled bidding,” Mr. Camacho claimed.

Due to the failure of bidding, Mr. Camacho said the Bids and Awards Committee issued a resolution recommending a negotiated purchase.

Board Member Alfonso Bince Jr. who chairs the Committee on Good Governance and Accountability of Public Officials in the provincial board said they will give the respondents 15 days to send their reply upon receipt copy of the complaint.

Mr. Levin, in an interview with reporters, said their group stands firm in their complaint and is ready to answer Camacho’s allegations with proper documentations. “We have the records to support our complaint,” he said.

“I hope the provincial board will be fair and square and will look into merits of the case we filed,” Mr. Uy said. (Tita Roces/Johanne Macob)

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