By Benjamin Pulta
MANILA – The Sandiganbayan has found three officials of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) liable for corruption in connection with anomalies in the awarding of a government contract for medicines worth over PHP5 million in Cotabato City in 2001.
In a recent decision, the anti-graft court’s Sixth Division convicted
former DSWD regional director Kunesa Sedik Sekak, and social welfare officers
Fatima Abobakas and Jesus Enjambre Flores for violating the Anti-Graft and
Corrupt Practices Act (RA 3019) and sentenced them to up to eight years in
prison.
They were also found liable for the PHP5.781 million, equivalent to the
value of the contract illegally awarded by them as the bids and awards
committee of DSWD Field Office 12 and were found guilty of awarding the
contract to Pharmazel Inc. without public bidding and giving unwarranted
benefit, advantage and preference to the firm.
The case against a fourth accused, Bai Monerah Abas-Asim, was dismissed
after she died before the termination of the proceedings.
“There was evident bad faith and manifest partiality on the accused
when they did not conduct a public bidding despite the knowledge that it was
required under the circumstances,” the court said.
It added that the procurement exceeded the prescribed cost limit of
PHP1 million under shopping as a method of procurement.
“Medicines are considered supplied under procurement laws. However, the
purchase of the medicines did not fall in any of the instances of shopping
because the cost of the medicines was beyond the PHP1 million limit for
shopping,” the tribunal said. (PNA)
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