3 Transco officials charged for P88-M transformer purchase

MANILA, Philippines - Three officials of the National Transmission Corp. (Transco) were charged before the Sandiganbayan for the allegedly illegal purchase of current transformers worth more than P88 million nine years ago.

The Ombudsman’s Office of the Special Prosecutor filed last March 26 a case against Transco’s Jules Alcantara, officer-in-charge and vice president for operations and maintenance-Visayas Mindanao; Lorrymir Adasa, assistant vice president; and Carmelito Soriano, head of the operations and maintenance department-north.

Alcantara, Adasa and Soriano were charged for violating Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act 3019).

Based on the information, the prosecutors said that in 2005 the three officials conspired in purchasing 24 current transformers from Boston Home Inc. worth P88,374,289.01.

The current transformers were procured for the Agus 2 hydroelectric plant managed and operated by the National Power Corp. (NPC).

Prosecutors said the purchase was made without any request from the NPC, which replaced current transformers for the plant in 2001. In spite of this, “Alcantara requested the acquisition” and the contract was still awarded Boston Home, which failed to deliver on the agreed date, and violated the terms of the contract.

Prosecutors said Alcantara approved the payment to Boston Home even though the bids and awards committee recommended the cancellation of the purchase order. The Office of the Special Prosecutor cited that Adasa “facilitated the payment by disapproving the BAC recommendation to cancel the PO.”

“Soriano, for his part, recommended the replacement of the (current transformers) in Agus 2 (plant) despite knowledge that what was needed were breakers,” the prosecutors said.