BATANGAS -The Anti-Corruption group, Citizen’s Crime Watch, headed by its National President formally filed three graft and corruption charges against Sto. Tomas City, Batangas Mayor Arth Jhun Marasigan plus other key city officials on Monday for allegedly committing violation of the Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Citizen’s Crime Watch President Diego Magpantay accused Mayor Marasigan for allegedly giving three different private entities unwarranted benefits, and advantage in awarding three projects in violation of the required bidding process.
“The delivery and installation of LED lights, customized medal and certificate holder, and lighting systems from the private entities had happened first in Sto. Tomas Batangas before the actual bidding and posting. So, there is a clear violation committed,”
Magpantay said.
“We are hoping that everything will go to the proper lawful procurement processes every time there is a project. But the three projects of Mayor Marasigan in Sto. Tomas Batangas based on our obtained evidence, it did not. We filed a complaint to the OMBUDSMAN to stop this malpractice,” he added.
The anti-crime watchdog group head went to the Office of the Ombudsman in Quezon City to file the case for allegedly installing LED lights amounting to P3,421,776.16 without the clear assurances or guarantees from the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) of Sto. Tomas.
Based also on the complaint, Magpantay accused Mayor Marasigan and other officials for allowing the DSL GAM Enterprise to prematurely deliver and install the LED Lights in the city last November although the proper posting and bidding of BAC has not begun yet.
The second of the third complaint was against the notice of award for the supply and delivery of customized medal and certificate holder for several schools in Batangas that was issued to the JOARC Trading last July 21, 2023, amounting to P6,347,394.
The first case was against the notice of award for the supply and installation of the energy-efficient street lighting system last January at Barangay Poblacion I, II, and III in Sto. Tomas under the DSOM General Construction worth P1,861,680.94.
According to Citizen's Crime Watch President, this is just the beginning of a series of cases to be filed against Mayor Marasigan as he just got hold of other documents that also show clear Violations of the Anti Graft Law.
By:Roy Tomandao
0 Comments