The Office of the Ombudsman has filed with the Sandiganbayan an Information for violation of Section 3 (e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act against Raquel Naciongayo, head of the Pasig City Environment and Natural Resources Office. Naciongayo faces trial for engaging the services of Enviserve, Inc. for its capacity-building seminars in 2006.
In its investigation, the Ombudsman found that the services of Enviserve were obtained without the benefit of public bidding and that respondent was connected with the service provider as stated in its corporate documents. Documents also show that Enviserve was not a registered corporation at the time of its engagement.
Naciongayo required representatives from factories in Pasig to attend and pay registration fees ranging from P1,700.00 to P2,000.00, with certificates of participation set as a pre-requisite for securing other permits for operation.
According to the Ombudsman, the “respondent’s decision to accept Enviserve, Inc.’s proposal was unilateral and did not bear the imprimatur of the head of procuring entity” which “compromised the Government’s commitment to good governance and its effort to adhere to the principle of transparency, accountability equity, efficiency, and economy in its procurement process.”
Section 3(e) of R.A. No. 3019 proscribes a public officer from causing undue injury to any party including the government, or giving any private party unwarranted benefits, advantage or preference in the discharge of official functions through manifest partiality, evident bad faith or gross inexcusable negligence. ###