Newly formed media group Alab ng Mamamahayag (Alam) last Tuesday filed criminal charges before the Office of the Ombudsman against television network tycoon Manny Pangilinan, Postmaster General Josefina de la Cruz and 13 other ranking officials of the Philippine Postal Corp. (PhilPost) for allegedly questionable computer-procurement deals with the state courier.
Alam president Berteni Causing and Alam PhilPost Chapter president Tirso Paglicawan, Jr. said three counts of administrative charges were also filed at the Ombudsman against De la Cruz and her alleged “accomplices,” 11 other officials of PhilPost.
Also charged were Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) president Napoleon Nazareno and Xitrix Computer Corp. account manager Vicente Esperanza III.
The charges against Pangilinan, Nazareno, Esperanza, De la Cruz and the 11 PhilPost officials stemmed from three questionable contracts for the procurement of supplies of computers and internet connections for PhilPost.
A company of Pangilinan entered into an undated contract with PhilPost for the delivery of 200 unbranded computer units with 200 two-year internet connections amounting to P9,515,200.00.
Meanwhile, Xitrix Computer Corp. also signed an undated contract with PhilPost for the procurement of 100 unbranded computer sets and 45 unknown-barcode scanners amounting to P2,374,750.00 as well as another undated repeat order contract for 25 unbranded computer sets and 11 unknown-barcode scanners worth P591,925.00
The other officials charged in this multimillion-peso computer scam are PhilPost chairman Cesar Sarino; board members Felipe Hidalgo, Ronaldo Tuazon, Joel Otarra, Mory Sison and Ma. Lourdes Varona; assistant postmasters general Mama Lalanto, Elizabeth Tungol and Luis Carlos; legal service director Lee Viceral; and Marietta Bertillo, chief accountant of PhilPost.(Tribune)
