Bacolod mayor appeals Ombudsman ruling

BACOLOD CITY , Philippines– Bacolod Mayor Monico Puentevella, a former congressman, filed last Monday with the Office of the Ombudsman a motion for reconsideration and/or reinvestigation with motion to hold in abeyance the filing of a case against him before the Sandiganbayan.

Puentevella’s case involved the alleged anomalous procurement of computers worth more than P25 million when he was a congressman from 2002 to 2007.

The computer packages were bought from Merryland Publishing Corp. at P400,000 each allegedly without any public bidding. The computers were found to be allegedly overpriced, defective and non-functional, and that some of the school beneficiaries allegedly did not receive them.

In a 16-page resolution last Oct. 2, the Office of the Ombudsman said there is probable cause to indict Puentevella as well as former Department of Education regional director Victorino Tirol, and Merryland president Jessie Garcia for violation of Republic Act 3019, and recommended the filing of a case against them before the Sandiganbayan.

In a press conference last Wednesday, Bacolod City administrator Rolando Villamor said they raised five main arguments in the 64-page motion for reconsideration before the Ombudsman.

Villamor said they believe that these are valid grounds which, if properly considered, would prompt the Ombudsman to reverse its resolution indicting Puentevella.

As of yesterday, there was no warrant of arrest and preventive suspension filed in the Sandiganbayan in connection with the case, Villamor said.

But in case the Sandiganbayan insists on filing the information, Puentevella’s camp can still file a petition for certiorari before the Supreme Court, he said.