Ombudsman suspends DICT exec

The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the six-month preventive suspension of Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Undersecretary for E-Government David Almirol Jr. over an alleged conflict of interest involving P1.55 billion worth of government contracts awarded to firms linked to a technology company he founded.

In a decision released Wednesday, the Ombudsman said records showed Almirol failed to divest his interests in Multisys Technologies Corp. after assuming public office in 2022.

Almirol founded and led Multisys in 2010 before his appointment as undersecretary. He later spearheaded the development of the eGov Super App, which was launched in 2023.

The complaint involved contracts awarded to companies linked to Multisys from November 2023 to May 2025 for projects involving web-based messaging services, technology consultancy and data center colocation.

An audit of Multisys’ financial statements showed it received P625.4 million in revenues from the companies under “managed services,” the Ombudsman said.

A Securities and Exchange Commission report also showed Almirol retained a 49.21-percent stake in Multisys after assuming office. The Ombudsman said this violated Section 9 of Republic Act 6713, which requires public officials to divest their business interests within 60 days of assuming office.