Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Deficiencies Found In An Anomalous Payment Transaction At The Local Government of Manila

The Commission on Audit filed a two-page notice of disallowance last October 29, 2009 against some of the government officials in the city of Manila. The notice was filed after it was found that the claims for the consultancy payment of the 21 consultants, who were supposedly appointed to work at the office of the mayor, were deficient. Domingo C. Bocalan Jr., State Auditor IV, who did the auditing of the said vouchers claimed that the 21 names of the consultants included in the payroll submitted for auditing were unreal, and that the contracted services did not took place. This under-the-table transaction have cost the city P5,058,000.00.

The notice of disallowance was filed soon after Mayor Alfredo Lim said in his affidavit that he did not have any knowledge, whatsoever, of the said transaction, and that he never authorized the purported contracted services to take place. The Mayor also added that he never signed any contract related to the purported services nor did he granted the payment for the supposed 21 consultants. The Mayor's statement was backed up by three officers assigned at the city Mayor's office. They are Rowena Senatin, Helen Natividad and Arturo Mijares.

In their affidavit, the three staff pointed out that the names of the 21 consultants in the payrolls submitted to them were not appointed by the mayor to work in his office. Senatin, Natividad and Mijares also confirmed that consultants in the voucher were inexistent. This government anomaly is a clear manifestation of the ongoing corrupt practices in the local government of Manila. Likewise, this transaction was not necessarily carried out to help the city but a mere justification for the involved personnel to acquire personal gains.

Eleven officials from the accounting and property division of the local government of Manila were named as the persons liable for the said anomalous transaction. The officials include Pacifico Lagramada, Yolanda Ignacio, Marleen Young, Gloria Quilantang, Vicky Valientes, Erlinda Marteja, Philip Cabalun II, Cherry Chan, Alicia Moscaya, Fritz Noel Borres, and Rodelio Leyson. The said individuals were responsible for facilitating the payment of the fictitious 21 consultants worth P5,058,000.00 without rendering actual services. Mayor Alfredo Lim and the affidavit of his staffs attested the involvement of the said personnel.

In the notice submitted by Bocolan, he recommended that the involved personnel from the accounting and property division of the city of Manila to refund the P5,058,000.00. The said amount was the payment for the consultants of the alleged contracted services. The notice of disallowance given by the Commission on Audit is final and executory under the law, and can only be appealed by the involved participants in the anomalous transaction within six months from the day the notice was filed. The inability to comply with the notice will allow the Commission on Audit to take necessary actions in order to settle the issue.

Although Mayor Alfredo Lim, in his affidavit, served as the way to expose this particular corrupt activity, it appears that something in this picture does not coordinate. It is known that every local project are needed to be approved by the mayor before it is facilitated; in this instance though, what remains questionable is the fact that the project was not hindered although Mayor Lim said that he did not approved it. Although the involved people in this anomalous transaction were already held liable for their corrupt practice, answering this question would somehow shed light to the blind side of the story. The public is waiting for this side of the story to be clarified.

The Commission on Audit filed a notice of disallowance against some of the officials from the local government of the city of Manila. The notice was given as a response to the government anomaly that concerns the payment of P5,058,000.00 among the fictitious 21 consultants who were allegedly contracted to work for the office of Mayor Alfredo Lim. The Commission on Audit recommended the officials to refund the full amount as a means to settle the issue.

-Julius Arante

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Anomalous Manila Public Bidding For School Rehabilitation

Mayor Alfredo Lim and members of Manila's Bid and Awards Committee are facing graft charges that was filed last April 8, 2010. The complainant, Atty. Reynaldo Bagatsing filed the complaint-affidavit in response to the allegedly illegal public bidding for rehabilitation of 15 schools within the city. The plaintiff took note that the bidding was done to provide unwarranted benefits not only to chosen bidders but also to the officials who officiated the said bidding. Bagatsing also believed that the bidding was especially disadvantageous to the local government of Manila as the participants in the illegal transaction manifested partiality, giving unwarranted benefits to the winning bidders.

Bagatsing immediately filed his complaint after obtaining an online copy of the bid notice abstract that came from the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement (PhilGEPS), which specifically concerns the rehabilitation of 15 Manila elementary schools. Bagatsing stated in his sworn affidavit that the bid invitation posted on February 18, 2010 also included details about the filing of letter of intent for interested bidders which were supposedly on February 10-16, 2010""dates that are impossible to comply with as they have already elapsed. Despite the notice though, the request list that accompany the said bid notice clearly outlined three entities that were favored by the committee. The entities were ALE Builders Construction and Development Corporation, Diamond Head Construction/Supplies, and VITES Construction and Development Corporation.

Atty. Reynaldo Bagatsing, former legal counsel of Lim, emphasized that the bidding was done in due haste and identified it as a bidding violation. The instant public bidding is notably an infringement of the Republic Act NO. 9184 (R.A. 9148) or Government Procurement Reform Act. Based from documents presented by Bagatsing, it was evident that there was a rush in implementing the bidding, as seen from the overlapping dates of the submission of letters of intent and the publication of the notice of invitation to bid. Hence, it is undeniable that the haste actions of the participating parties were incongruent to the bidding rules and time frames covered by the R.A. 9148.

Members of the Bids and Awards Committee mostly make up the roster of perpetrators in the said transaction. They are named Atty. Rafaelito Garayblas, Atty. Renato Dela Cruz, Vicky Valientes, Leanie S. Sanding, Ma. Lourdes Manlulu, Alicia T. Moscaya and Thelma Perez. Because the Bids and Awards Committee knowingly continued the scheme despite it being illegal, they are held liable for violating Republic Act No. 3019 (R.A. 3019) or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices and Republic Act No. 6713 (R.A. 6713) commonly referred to as the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees. Mayor Alfredo Lim is also held liable for the same violations as he condoned the said acts.

Accordingly, the rigging of this public bidding to repair and upgrade 15 elementary schools has cost the city of Manila P23,550,000.00. Bagatsing also lamented that by entering into this form of contract, the officials, who acted based on their best interest and gave preference toward their selected bidders chose to deprive the city and its people to save funds which could later on be used for other important projects. The plaintiff called for the attention of the Ombudsman to properly address the issue at hand. This is so in order to provide the justice due to Manila residents and tax payers.

All the evidences presented by Bagatsing clearly manifest how public projects like this could become a breeding ground for illegal activities. Although various laws are put in place in order to address these issues, there are still people who continuously participate in the perpetration of fraudulent activities. Hence, illegal acts become more difficult to resolve. The involvement of Mayor Alfredo Lim in such form of activities could affect his political career if all of these are proven real; but whether or not this is true, such illegal act serves as a proof of the abusive power of men.

Mayor Alfredo Lim, along with some of his colleagues in the Bid and Awards committee were charged with graft and corruption lawsuits following the anomalous bidding for the rehabilitation of 15 classrooms in the city of Manila. Atty. Reynaldo Bagatsing filed the charges, claiming that the transaction was a bidding violation, set to cost Manila P23,550,000.00. The charges against the officials were filed on April 8, 2010. Bagatsing requested the Ombudsman to take immediate action on the said complaint.

Mayor Alfredo Lim And Colleagues Charged With Graft and Corruption

Last April 8, 2010, graft and corruption charges were filed against Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, placing him once again under public scrutiny. A non-existent local assembly was allegedly conspired by Lim and his allies and also falsified receipts, which is said to have costs the city of Manila worth P221, 250.00. The graft charges against Lim and his colleagues were filed by the Mayor's former legal adviser, Reynaldo L. Bagatsing. Bagatsing called for the Ombudsman to place the perpetrators in a preventive suspension.

Bagatsing also included seven other officials in the said anomaly. The seven officials include Atty. Rafaelito M. Garayblas, Atty. Analyn T. Marcelo-Buan, Maria Lourdes R. Malulu, Cherry Chao, Cecilia V. Sican, Leanie S. Sanding, and Vicky R. Valientes. Bagatsing pointed out that the said officials falsified the original receipts provided by Angel's Burger House. According to Bagatsing, the falsification of the said receipts were related to the fabricated assembly known as the Barangay Peace Keeping Action Team, which was allegedly spearheaded by the Barangay Bureau in all barangays in Manila last August 27, 2009.

To further strengthen his claims about such Manila government anomaly, Bagatsing explained in detail how the events unfolded. Specifically, it was claimed that the officials noted in the accompanying reimbursement voucher that the participants of the non-existent assembly consumed 5,500 pieces of cheeseburgers. Bagatsing took note that a small burger joint like that of Angel's is not capable of producing such large number of orders, as deliveries like that could be finished in 15 days. To further reinforce his allegations, Bagatsing was able to acquire the inspection report filed on October 19, 2009 by the officials that was certified by Cecilia V. Sican, Inspector of the City General Services Office (CGSO), which apparently demonstrated that the original receipts that are numbered 0066 and 0067 were falsified to appear as 0214 and 0215.

The said forged copies that were presented to the city treasurer of Manila obtained the officials sum of P221, 250.00. Hence, it is apparent that the involved Manila officials committed malversation and falsification or articles 217 and 171 of the revised penal code respectively. Likewise, involved officials in this alleged Manila government anomaly failed to adhere to the required bidding process, making them liable for the violation of Section 367 of Republic Act. No. 7160 (R.A. 7160). Section 367 of R.A. 7160 stipulates that procurement of any supplies by all the local units of Manila area must not exceed to P150, 000.00 in any one month, which apparently was not followed by the involved officials.

Mayor Alfredo Lim was included in Bagatsing's lawsuit because he was represented by his secretary Rafaelito Garayblas. Garayblas notably signed the falsified documents with Lim's consent, which in turn gives the Manila officials the permission to facilitate the anomalous activities. Lim may not have directly signed the said documents, but it must be taken into account that the authorization of his secretary also means that he unscrupulous act was done with his consent. Nonetheless, considering that Garayblas directly report to Lim, it is apparent that the Mayor condoned such transaction.

With the election just around the corner, political candidates are vigilant about their actions so as not get themselves involved with illegal activities. Mayor Alfredo Lim consistently won the trust of the publicly, which is why he is still in the office to date. However, the alleged illegal activity that he and his allies were involved with can affect the trust that the people have given him. It is therefore an imperative for these officials to clarify this issue so as not to tarnish the reputations that they have taken care off for a long time.

Mayor Alfredo Lim, together with seven other Manila officials, was allegedly involved in another Manila government anomaly that is centered on the falsification and malversation of documents. Lim's former legal counsel, Reynaldo Bagatsing filed the lawsuit before the Ombudsman after he was able to secure evidences to support his claim about the involvement of the said officials and Angel's Burger House.

-Julius Arante

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Anomalous Manila Public Bidding For School Rehabilitation

Mayor Alfredo Lim and members of Manila's Bid and Awards Committee are facing graft charges that was filed last April 8, 2010. The complainant, Atty. Reynaldo Bagatsing filed the complaint-affidavit in response to the allegedly illegal public bidding for rehabilitation of 15 schools within the city. The plaintiff took note that the bidding was done to provide unwarranted benefits not only to chosen bidders but also to the officials who officiated the said bidding. Bagatsing also believed that the bidding was especially disadvantageous to the local government of Manila as the participants in the illegal transaction manifested partiality, giving unwarranted benefits to the winning bidders.

Bagatsing immediately filed his complaint after obtaining an online copy of the bid notice abstract that came from the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement (PhilGEPS), which specifically concerns the rehabilitation of 15 Manila elementary schools. Bagatsing stated in his sworn affidavit that the bid invitation posted on February 18, 2010 also included details about the filing of letter of intent for interested bidders which were supposedly on February 10-16, 2010""dates that are impossible to comply with as they have already elapsed. Despite the notice though, the request list that accompany the said bid notice clearly outlined three entities that were favored by the committee. The entities were ALE Builders Construction and Development Corporation, Diamond Head Construction/Supplies, and VITES Construction and Development Corporation.

Atty. Reynaldo Bagatsing, former legal counsel of Lim, emphasized that the bidding was done in due haste and identified it as a bidding violation. The instant public bidding is notably an infringement of the Republic Act NO. 9184 (R.A. 9148) or Government Procurement Reform Act. Based from documents presented by Bagatsing, it was evident that there was a rush in implementing the bidding, as seen from the overlapping dates of the submission of letters of intent and the publication of the notice of invitation to bid. Hence, it is undeniable that the haste actions of the participating parties were incongruent to the bidding rules and time frames covered by the R.A. 9148.

Members of the Bids and Awards Committee mostly make up the roster of perpetrators in the said transaction. They are named Atty. Rafaelito Garayblas, Atty. Renato Dela Cruz, Vicky Valientes, Leanie S. Sanding, Ma. Lourdes Manlulu, Alicia T. Moscaya and Thelma Perez. Because the Bids and Awards Committee knowingly continued the scheme despite it being illegal, they are held liable for violating Republic Act No. 3019 (R.A. 3019) or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices and Republic Act No. 6713 (R.A. 6713) commonly referred to as the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees. Mayor Alfredo Lim is also held liable for the same violations as he condoned the said acts.

Accordingly, the rigging of this public bidding to repair and upgrade 15 elementary schools has cost the city of Manila P23,550,000.00. Bagatsing also lamented that by entering into this form of contract, the officials, who acted based on their best interest and gave preference toward their selected bidders chose to deprive the city and its people to save funds which could later on be used for other important projects. The plaintiff called for the attention of the Ombudsman to properly address the issue at hand. This is so in order to provide the justice due to Manila residents and tax payers.

All the evidences presented by Bagatsing clearly manifest how public projects like this could become a breeding ground for illegal activities. Although various laws are put in place in order to address these issues, there are still people who continuously participate in the perpetration of fraudulent activities. Hence, illegal acts become more difficult to resolve. The involvement of Mayor Alfredo Lim in such form of activities could affect his political career if all of these are proven real; but whether or not this is true, such illegal act serves as a proof of the abusive power of men.

Mayor Alfredo Lim, along with some of his colleagues in the Bid and Awards committee were charged with graft and corruption lawsuits following the anomalous bidding for the rehabilitation of 15 classrooms in the city of Manila. Atty. Reynaldo Bagatsing filed the charges, claiming that the transaction was a bidding violation, set to cost Manila P23,550,000.00. The charges against the officials were filed on April 8, 2010. Bagatsing requested the Ombudsman to take immediate action on the said complaint.

Paslit Namatay Dahil Sa Motorcade Ni Lim

By: Tina Mendoza
www.abante.com.ph



Isinisi ng mga residente ng Kagitingan St., Tondo, Manila, ang pagkakasagasa at pagkamatay ng isang bata sa isinagawang motorcade noong Sabado kung saan nagtakbuhan umano ang mga bata papalapit dahil sa pamumudmod ng t-shirt at kendi ng kandidatong alkalde.


Ayon sa mga residente ng Kagitingan St., Tondo, alas-kwatro ng hapon nang dumaan ang motorcade ni Mayor Alfredo Lim kasama ang mga kandidato ng kanilang partido at upang makaagaw pansin ay naghahagis ito ng mga kendi na s’yang pinagkaguluhan naman.


Isa umano sa nakiagaw ay si Dirk Pacheco, 4-anyos na hindi naalintana ang paparating na firetruck kung saan lulan naman ang isang kandidato sa pagkakonsehal at nabundol ito.


Bagama’t naisugod sa Mary Johnston Hospital ang bata ay nabigo naman na mailipat sa Intensive Care Unit (ICU) ang biktima dahil sa kawalan ng pera ng mga magulang nito at ilang oras pa ang lumipas bago ito naipasok sa ICU subalit naging huli na dahil binawian din ito ng buhay.


Inamin ng mga magulang ng biktima na wala silang nakuhang tulong mula sa kampo ng alkalde kung saan lumapit sila kay dating Manila Mayor Lito Atienza na s’yang tumulong para mailabas ng ospital ang kanilang nasawing anak.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Mayor Alfredo Lim And His Secret Story

Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim is widely regarded as the city's version of John Wayne, Django Kojak and Dirty Harry. The former Western Police District (WPD) head and former Director of the NBI has been endowed with countless accolades and recognition for what he was able to achieve during his stint as police officer.The media has continuously portrayed Lim as a no-nonsense, honest to goodness police officer.Moreover, Lim is now regarded as a hero of Manila and recognized for his courage and devotion to duty for his beloved city.

It is a sad fact that many people have bought these kinds of stories that were created and written by no less than Alfredo Lim himself. Lim has had success his manipulation of the media which has helped him in building an outstanding reputation as a former police officer. Many people were misled into believing that Manila's most outstanding policeman's rise to power is a product of years of dedication and hard work.The real story behind this revered Manila Mayor and former MPD chief is yet to be told which is part of the reason why he still enjoys popularity and recognition among Manilenos.

Not too many people are aware of the dark side of Mayor Lim due to his constant manipulation of the media during his tenure in the MPD. Lim's well-documented exploits and heroics were fictions written by his media friends. With the help of the media sympathetic to him, Alfredo Lim's dark side were successfully covered up and remained buried for many years. Whereas, what should have been written about him was exactly the opposite of what has been touted by the media quarters.

There exist untold stories which can give us the truthful side of this former police chief. Lim's career as a police officer clearly contradicts what the media has been telling us for many years. Alfredo Lim was once a dirty cop. Lim's stint as a police officer was tainted with reported cases of corruption, utter disregard for the law, abuse of authority and human rights violations including "salvaging," shady deals and a reign of terror, all perpetrated by Lim and his cohorts.

Alfredo Lim was popularly known by his comrades in uniform as a master of manipulations.Lim knew very well the many ways of soliciting loyalty and support from his colleagues and subordinates in the police force.He went on to manipulate his subordinates and successfully got their support for his personal gain and promotion. His mastery of manipulation has also helped him in covering up his misdeeds and his affiliation to a number of syndicates and illegal activities. Lim is also known for his reputation as a patron of Manila's drug lords and smugglers. The former MPD chief is closely identified with one of the most powerful drug lords in Manila.Lim has been extending protection to numerous drug lords of the city including his friend Manuel Velasco, the leader of a big drug syndicate at Binondo; and even his nephew, certain Maynard Limcangco Siojo. Aside from illegal drugs, Lim has also been closely identified with big time smugglers and smuggling syndicates.

Alfredo Lim's success in portraying himself as an outstanding police officer is nothing but a product of his ability to manipulate media. The media has been constantly portraying Lim as a no-nonsense, honest to goodness police officer. The Manila Mayor was successful in hiding all his wrongful acts and misdeed he has done during his stint in as police chief. Meanwhile, the dark side of Mayor Lim continues to be untold and remained uncovered.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Mayor Alfredo Lim: How He Failed To Stop Jueteng In Manila

Illegal gambling remains rampant in this poverty-stricken city. The Manila Jueteng Problem is still alive and evident in the arrests of several people involved in the said illegal form of gambling. Manila mayor Alfredo Lim along MPD director Chief Superintendent Rodolfo Magtibay vowed that they will rid the city of illegal jueteng operators.Instead, there are intelligence reports that illegal jueteng operators are currently operating in the city.

The recent arrests of several people are apparent evidences that the once eradicated Manila Jueteng Problem is still prospering.Part of the reason why this illegal gambling problem has resurfaced is that police officers and city officials are involved in this trade. This illegal numbers game has the blessing of corrupt and unscrupulous policemen and city hall officials.In return for the protection extended, these jueteng protectors are bribed with a portion of the profits generated from this illegal activity.

The inability of the police force to prosecute these people involved in Jueteng has further escalated the Manila Jueteng Problem. Many people who are engaged in this illegal activity were able to evade arrests due to the influence of higher police officials and city hall personnel including the Mayor of Manila. Moreover, jueteng operators in the city have developed a way to avoid arresting police officials.Investigations revealed that jueteng lords in the city operate in a 'kangaroo' style and transfer from one place to another to avoid detection.

Jueteng operators in the city have also discovered some sort of resiliency in hiding their illegal operations. To deceit and mislead the city's law enforcers, these jueteng collectors pretend they are soliciting bets for the government-sponsored EZ-2 lotto. Jueteng bares resemblance to EZ-2 which is a legal numbers game launched by the government through the PCSO.Jueteng and EZ-2 both involved a winning two-number combination where bettors place their bets.

The only difference is that jueteng is drawn secretly and exists as an underground transaction. It is believed that the winning combination in jueteng is handpicked by the operator. Jueteng operators usually pick choose combinations with fewer bets to accumulate bigger profits.Meanwhile, EZ-2 is legal and drawn live on TV.

Unless the city government under Mayor Alfredo Lim and Manila Police Department end their involvement in this kind of illegal activity; the Manila Jueteng Problem will remain unaddressed. If Mayor Lim and Chief Superintendent Rodolfo Magtibay are serious in ridding the city of this kind of illegal activity, their action must start within their ranks. They should be going after the protectors and big time jueteng lords instead of arresting small bet collectors. Moreover, the city government must carefully look into the bigger picture and address the real cause why this illegal numbers game even exists.

There are many reasons why the Manila jueteng problem has once again resurfaced as apparent in the arrests of several people involved in the said illegal form of gambling. The reported involvement of police and city halls officials in the illegal activity has made it impossible to address this problem. Moreover, the inability of the police force and Mayor of Manila Alfredo Lim to bring those people involved in Jueteng has further aggravated the problem.