Iloilo Police head among dismissed officials

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — Senior Superintendent Cornelio Salinas, director of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office, was among the 19 top police officials recently ordered dismissed from service by the Ombudsman for the alleged irregularity in the procurement of rubber boats in 2009.

In a telephone interview yesterday, Salinas limited his statements on the case, but expressed his feelings in a text message, saying: “I staged a good fight as I keep my faith but I did not finish my journey on the road of my police career. This is a personal crusade as I fight as a victim of the highest degree of injustice from the Ombudsman.”

Aside from Salinas, also ordered dismissed were 18 other police officials, and two civilian employees of the PNP.

The Ombudsman also ordered the filing of charges against Roselle Ferrer and Pacita Umali of Four Petals Trading, supplier of the rubber boats.

Along with their dismissal, they would be slapped with accessory penalties of perpetual disqualification from reemployment in the government service, forfeiture of retirement benefits, and cancellation of civil service eligibility. They would also be charged for graft because of the anomalous deal.

The case was an offshoot of the procurement of 16 police coastal crafts worth P4.54 million in 2009, when Salinas was assigned to the PNP Maritime Group, and part of the bids and awards committee, headed by Police Regional Office-8 director, Chief Supt. Asher Dolina, who was also among those dismissed by the Ombudsman.

Ombudsman investigators reportedly found out that the PNP issued a memorandum for the purchase of 20 rubber boats for P5 million. However, the 20 was later reduced to 16 rubber boats after Chief Supt. Villamor Bumanglag, a former Maritime Group director, moved for the increase of the unit price from P250,000 to P312,000.

When the rubber boats were delivered and inspected, several defects were already uncovered such as the lack of water temperature gauges, fuel gauges, engine oil pressure gauges and speedometers. Some engines were not even operational.

Despite this, the PNP later paid the supplier Four Petals Trading the amount of P4.54 million despite noting the defects in the boats, in a purchase that the Ombudsman also noted was done without public bidding.

Chief Superintendent Bernardo Diaz, Police Regional Office-6 director, said he has yet to receive a copy of the Ombudsman order, which he was yet uncertain if immediately executory or not. Salinas and the others accused would still appeal the Ombudsman decision. (FREEMAN)