(SAKSI NGAYON NEWS TEAM)

SINAMPAHAN ng kasong pandarambong at korapsyon si Quezon City Mayor Josefina “Joy” Belmonte sa Office of the Ombudsman noong Biyernes bunsod ng maanomalya umanong pagbili ng ‘food packs’ na nagkakahalaga ng P108 milyon.

Bukod kay Belmonte, sabit din sa kaso na isinampa ni John Jamili Chiong, founder and national commander of the anti-corruption group Task Force Kasanag, sina Ruby G. Manangu, officer-in-charge, Accounting department ng Quezon City government, Angelica Solis, representative of LXS Trading, at iba pang opisyal at empleyado na direktang may kinalaman at partisipasyon sa sinasabing anomalya.

Batay sa Republic Act 7080, ang pandarambong (plunder) ay isang pamamaraan ng isang opisyal ng pamahalaan upang makalikom ng ilegal na yaman na may halagang P50 milyon pataas.

“A few weeks ago, I was informed of several news reports on the gross and immoral overprice in the purchase food packs and grocery items committed by the Quezon City Government, involving Hundreds of Millions of Pesos,” pahayag ni Chiong sa kanyang pagsasampa ng naturang kaso sa Office of the Ombudsman.

Ayon kay Chiong, may kopya siya ng purchase orders na may lagda ni Belmonte at mga sangkot na opisyal na nakasaad na “package” and/or “lumpsum price” na P1,149.90 kada isang food pack, imbes na dapat ilista kung ano ang mga produkto na laman ng naturang grocery pack.

“Which clearly violated the required transparency and accountability, required in such kinds of transactions,” sambit ni Chiong.

“Upon examination of the contents of the ‘Basic Food Pack’ purchased by the Quezon City government, subject of the PO, however would show that the same are grossly overpriced and would not amount to the ‘per unit cost’ paid by the Quezon City government even if the same will be bought from the most expensive supermarkets in high end malls,” nakasaad sa reklamo ni Chiong.

Aniya, ang presyo ay tahasang paglabag sa panuntunan at pagpapatupad ng ‘Suggested Retail Price’ (SRP) ng Department of Trade and Industry.

Iginiit ng anti-corruption crusader na simula noong Marso 2020, ipinatupad ng DTI ang ‘price freeze’ habang nasa ilalim ng State of Public Health Emergency ang bansa dulot ng pandemya.

“After the duration of price freeze, DTI announced that the effective SRP for such products will revert back and will be based on the SRP issued by DTI on 30 September 2019.  Also, DTI issued a Noche Buena Suggested Retail Price effective 9 November 2020,” pahayag ni Chiong.

Sa pagsawalang bahala sa presyo na isinasaad ng Suggested Retail Price (SRP) ng DTI mula Setyembre 30 hanggang Agosto 29, 2021, lantaran ang paglabag ni Belmonte dahil imposibleng umabot sa P1,149.90 ang presyo ng kada grocery pack.

Batay sa SRP ng DTI sa mga aktuwal na presyo sa mga tindahan, ang pinakaresonableng halaga para sa pagbili ng food pack ng Quezon City government ay halagang P715 kada isang pakete.

Sinabi Chiong na lantaran ang ‘overprice’ ng mga binili ng QC government at nilabag ni Belmonte ang batas para sa pagpili ng supplier gayung makabibili ng produkto sa mas mababang halaga.

Binayaran ng Quezon City government, ayon sa  reklamo ni Chiong, ang LXS Trading ng P287,475,000 para sa 250,000 food packs gayong ang presyo nito ay P178,808,000 lamang sa halagang P715 kada pakete.

Batay sa naturang transaksyon, nagbayad ang QC government ng mahigit na P108,667,000 sa LXS Trading.

“Considering the clear and blatant overprice amounting to more than One Hundred Eight Million Pesos (P108,000,000), Plunder is already applicable as respondent Joy Belmonte, as the main plunderer, took advantage of her position to receive kickbacks and unlawful commission from the supplier,” pahayag ni Chiong.

“Respondent Manangu is also liable as she also signed the subject document PO, while respondent Solis is also liable as a private citizen co-conspirator,” aniya.