Sandigan junks ex-Siquijor mayor’s motion

The Sandiganbayan has denied the bid of former Lazi, Siquijor mayor Orville Fua, and four others to dismiss their graft charges concerning the anomalous purchase of fertilizers amounting to P4.99 million in 2004.

The anti-graft court Third Division deemed the grounds adduced by Fua and his co-accused in their motion for reconsideration “unconvincing” to warrant a reversal of the court’s ruling dated 7 December.

The said decision found Fua, ex-municipal engineer Natalio Jumawan Jr., municipal treasurer/bids and awards committee (BAC) member Rose Marie Tomogsoc, ex-private secretary Sue Castillon, and private respondent Merlyn Lu guilty of violating Section 3 (e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (RA 3019).

They were sentenced to up to 10 years imprisonment and were also perpetually disqualified from holding public office, excluding Lu.

The case pertains to the irregular purchase of 2,096 bottles of MRG liquid fertilizer priced at P1,550 per bottle and 1,258 bags of DEL GRO super foliar fertilizer, costing P1,550 per bag, or for a total of P4,990,752 by the Siquijor provincial government in May 2004.

The Ombudsman, which filed the case in 2019, found “irregularities” and “anomalies» in the transaction, including the LGU›s failure to follow the proper procurement process.

Fua and the three other local officials were accused of favoring the Mangopina to be the supplier of the fertilizers notwithstanding its ineligibility due to a lack of valid business permit and authorization to sell.

Court records showed that Fua and the BAC “did not review any eligibility requirement of Mangopina, and there was no proper bid evaluation done by the BAC in the questioned procurement.”