Sto. Tomas LGU officials face graft raps

An advocacy group has filed three graft and corruption charges at the Office of the Ombudsman against Sto. Tomas, Batangas Mayor Arth Jhun Marasigan and other key city officials recently for the alleged violation of Republic Act 3019, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

This comes as Citizen’s Crime Watch national president Diego Magpantay has accused Marasigan of giving three different private entities unwarranted benefits and advantages in awarding three projects in violation of the required bidding process.

“The delivery and installation of LED lights, customized medal and certificate holders, and lighting systems from the private entities occurred in Sto. Tomas, Batangas before the actual bidding and posting. This clearly constitutes a violation,” Magpantay said.

“We hope that all projects undergo proper lawful procurement processes. However, based on our evidence, three projects of Mayor Marasigan in Sto. Tomas, Batangas did not. We filed a complaint with the Ombudsman to stop this malpractice,” he added.

Magpantay alleged that the LED lights worth P3,421,776.16 were installed without clear assurances or guarantees from the Sto. Tomas Bids and Awards Committee (BAC). The group also claimed that the local officials allowed DSL GAM Enterprise to prematurely deliver and install LED lights in the city last November, before the proper BAC posting and bidding had begun.

The second complaint was against the notice of award issued to JOARC Trading on 21 July 2023, for the supply and delivery of customized medal and certificate holders for several Batangas schools, amounting to P6,347,394.

Meantime, the first case was against the notice of award issued to DSOM General Construction in January for the supply and installation of an energy-efficient street lighting system in Barangays Poblacion I, II, and III of Sto. Tomas, worth P1,861,680.94.