Ouano's lesson from lamppost mess: "Don't be so cooperative and helpful"

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu Provincial Board Member Thadeo Ouano claimed to have learned a lesson not to be so cooperative and helpful in national government projects.

Ouano said he had come to a generalization that being cooperative and helpful to national government undertakings does not always do good after his name is continually dragged into the anomalous purchase of the P365 million decorative lampposts during the 12th Asean Summit.

Ouano, former Mandaue City mayor, lamented that his name is continually dragged into the controversy in spite the dismissal of the administrative complaint against him.

Ouano was no longer included in the administrative charge for grave misconduct after the Aguinaldo doctrine sets in following his election to the provincial board.

The other officials involved in the controversy especially those from the Department of Public Works and Highways were already dismissed from service.

The dismissal of the 14 DPWH officials was recently upheld by the Court of Appeals. Ouano lamented that even if he was not among those ordered dismissed but his name continues to appear in newspaper reports.

Ouano said that the project was funded and implemented by the national government and they were just asked to help in the implementation.

“Usahay ning matinabangon kaayo ta dili sad maayo. I have learned my lesson not to be very accommodating and helpful,” Ouano said during the Tapok-Tapok sa Media Forum at NS Royal Pension yesterday.

According to Ouano, the purchase of the 1,800 lampposts that were installed along the streets of Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu and Cebu City was done by the DPWH through then secretary Hermogenes Ebdane.

Ouano said he cannot dictate the project of the DPWH even if he was the mayor during that time.

The local chief executives of the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu were reportedly given the chance to choose the design of the lampposts to be installed in their respective areas.

Officials of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu prepared the corresponding Programs of Work and Estimates (POWE) for the lampposts.

Ouano appealed especially to the media not to pass judgment on him as it really hurts his family.

Recently, a question if Ouano’s present post will be affected by the latest CA decision was brought up when Assistant Ombudsman Virginia Palanca-Santiago said they will look into the issue.

In the October 1, 2010 decision, the anti-graft office dismissed the administrative charge against Ouano, saying his re-election as Provincial Board member in the 2010 election was “condonation of his previous misconduct,” leaving the case “moot and academic.”

Ouano’s counsel, lawyer Victor Maambong described the action as “precipitate haste” and the anti-graft office might have forgotten that it already dismissed all the charges against Ouano.

In the same media forum yesterday, Maambong reminded Santiago about the Ombudsman’s own ruling which declared the administrative penalties against Ouano moot as the Aguinaldo Doctrine has not been amended to “Mabini or Rizal” doctrine. – (FREEMAN)