Provincial

STO. TOMAS LGU EXECS FACE COMPLAINTS

admin November 27, 2024

CITIZENS Crime Watch (CCW), an anti-corruption group, on Monday filed complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman against the local officials of Sto. Tomas in Batangas.

CCW president Diego Magpantay filed charges for alleged violation of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act against Sto. Tomas City, Batangas Mayor Arth Jhun Marasigan and other key city officials.

Magpantay accused Marasigan and other city officials for allegedly giving three different private entities unwarranted benefits, and advantage in awarding three projects, which according to him was a violation of the required bidding process.

“The delivery and installation of LED lights, customized medal and certificate holder, and lighting systems from the private entities had happened first in Sto. Tomas Batangas before the actual bidding and posting. So, there is a clear violation committed,” Magpantay said.

“We are hoping that everything will go to the proper lawful procurement processes everytime there is a project. But the three projects of Mayor Marasigan in Sto. Tomas Batangas based on our obtained evidence, did not. We filed a complaint to the Ombudsman to stop this malpractice,” he added.

The anti-crime watchdog group head went to the Office of the Ombudsman in Quezon City to file the case for allegedly installing LED lights amounting to P3,421,776.16 without guarantees from the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) of Sto. Tomas.

Based on the complaint, Magpantay accused Marasigan and other officials for allowing the DSL GAM Enterprise to prematurely deliver and install the LED Lights in the city in November although the proper posting and bidding of BAC has not begun yet.

The second of the third complaint was against the notice of award for the supply and delivery of customized medal and certificate holder for several schools in Batangas that was issued to the JOARC Trading onJuly 21, 2023, amounting to P6,347,394.

And the first case involved the notice of award for the supply and installation of the energy-efficient street lighting system in January in barangays I, II, and III in Sto. Tomas under the DSOM General Construction worth P1,861,680.94, said Magpantay.