Ex-NPO chief gets 10 years for graft

MANILA, Philippines — Former National Printing Office (NPO) director Emmanuel Andaya and five others have been sentenced to up to 10 years in prison in connection with the anomalous awarding of a P1.9-million contract for the printing of travel clearance certificates of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in 2010.

In a decision promulgated on Sept. 25, the Sandiganbayan found Andaya guilty of violating Section 3 of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act along with former NPO Bids and Awards Committee chairperson Sylvia Banda as well as former BAC members Josefina Samson, Antonio Sillona, Bernadette Lagumen and Zita Maria Gracia Enriquez.

The anti-graft court’s Third Division perpetually disqualified them from holding public office and forfeited their retirement and gratuity benefits.

Filed by the Office of the Ombudsman in 2016, the complaint stemmed from the NPO’s awarding of a contract amounting to P1,899,950 to Advance Computer Forms Inc. for the printing of 1,000 boxes of NBI travel clearance certificates in November 2010.

The ombudsman said the former NPO officials awarded the contract to Advance Computer without public bidding, in violation of Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act.

Ombudsman prosecutors said the NPO officials resorted to emergency procurement without following the requirements and processes under RA 9184, which deprived the government of the opportunity to obtain the most advantageous transaction.

The Sandiganbayan said the supposed constant follow-ups by the NBI, as claimed by the NPO officials during the trial, were not valid justification to resort to emergency procurement.

The Third Division said there were also “glaring irregularities” that cast doubt on the validity of the contract.

The anti-graft court said the office address of the two other printing companies – JI Printers Inc. and Metrocolor Corp. – as well as the dates of the supposed receipt of invitations to bid were not indicated in the BAC resolution that recommended the award of contract to Advance Computer.