Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales has directed the filing of Informations with the Sandiganbayan against former Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Alan Purisima and 11 police officers for their involvement in the anomalous courier services contract with Werfast Documentation Agency, Inc. (Werfast) in 2011.
Impleaded with Purisima for violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act No. 3019) are: PNP officials Napoleon Estilles, Gil Meneses, Raul Petrasanta, Allan Parreño, Eduardo Acierto, Melchor Reyes, Lenbell Fabia, Sonia Calixto, Nelson Bautista, Ford Tuazon and Ricardo Zapata, Jr., and WERFAST incorporators Mario Juan, Salud Bautista, Enrique Valerio, Lorna Perena and Juliana Pasia.
In a 10-page Consolidated Order, the Ombudsman affirmed the finding of probable cause against top PNP officials for lack of merit. The Ombudsman found that WERFAST had no corporate existence and juridical personality when the PNP engaged its services through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) executed in May 2011. The MOA authorized WERFAST to have the sole responsibility of setting up an online system for firearms license application and delivery. No public bidding was conducted by Purisima, et. al. and the MOA was entered into despite WERFAST’s lack of track record as a courier service company.
PNP officials admitted that the documents submitted by WERFAST for accreditation were incomplete, meeting only the minimum requirements, giving absolute credence to WERFAST’s representation that it has a joint venture with CMIT Consultancy Group, Inc. and PHILREM. Investigation uncovered that WERFAST engaged the services of LBC wherein WERFAST collected P190.00 for deliveries within Metro Manila and P290 for outside of Metro Manila, when other courier service providers charge only P90.00 within Metro Manila.
According to Ombudsman Morales, “the document trail-from the execution of the MOA to the issuance of an accreditation policy, subsequent mandatory imposition of courier service fee deliveries, until accreditation of WERFAST- reveals measures undertaken to mask a long line of violations.”
Under Section 3(e) of R.A. No. 3019, public officials are prohibited from causing any undue injury to any party, or giving any private party any unwarranted benefits, advantage or preference in the discharge of his official administrative or judicial functions through manifest partiality, evident bad faith or gross inexcusable negligence.###