Verzosa, 20 others charged over purchase of defective police watercraft

TWENTY-ONE persons including four retired and four active Philippine National Police generals led by former PNP chief Jesus A. Verzosa have been charged before the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the alleged anomalous P131.5 million negotiated procurement in 2009 of 75 police rubber boats and 18 spare outboard motors intended for use by the PNP Maritime Group.

Apart from the eight generals, charged by the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and Falsification by Public Officers were eight other active PNP officials and five civilians including two PNP non-uniformed personnel. The charges were filed before the Ombudsman’s office last October 6, said PNP-CIDG chief Director Samuel D. Pagdilao Jr.

Verzosa, through his lawyer Benjamin de los Santos, welcomed the filing of the charges before the Ombudsman as he reiterated his innocence and vowed to answer the charges against him before the proper forum.

“The latest action of CIDG came as a complete surprise to us. We were not summoned to appear for investigation unlike the earlier Chopper case. We shall, however, have due process during preliminary investigation at the Ombudsman. As in the chopper case, we reiterate our innocence and maintain that the procurement law was strictly followed,” Verzosa said in a statement released by his counsel.

The CIDG found liable Gen. Verzosa and fellow retired Generals Jefferson Soriano, Luizo Ticman and Romeo Hilomen; current PNP deputy chief for administration, Deputy Director General Benjamin Belarmino Jr.; Director George Piano of the PNP Directorate for Logistics; former PNP Legal Service director, Chief Supt. Herold Ubalde; Chief Supt. Luis Saligumbal Senior Supt. Job Nolan Antonio; Supt. Edgar Pataan, Senior Supt. Joel Garcia; Supt. Ermiliando Villafuerte, Supt. Roman Loreto, Supt. Henry Duque, Chief Inspector Ronald Lee, Senior Police Officer 3 Maria Linda Padojinog, and PNP non-uniformed employees Ruben Gonggona and Marife Dungca.

Charged as co-conspirators in the questionable negotiated procurement were the rubber boat suppliers Harold Ong of Enviro Aire, Senen Arabaca of Geneve SA Philippines and Alex Tayao of Bay Industrial Philippines.

Pagdilao said that CIDG’s investigation into the rubber boat scam and the filing of cases against the 21 respondents stemmed from the findings and complaint made by the Maritime Group that there were noted defects and functional incompatibility in the delivered 75 Zodiac FC 470 Futura Commando Rubber Boats.

The CIDG chief said that defects were particularly noted on the 41 PRBs delivered by the supplier Geneve SA Philippines that could not be fitted with the 60hp engines supplied by Enviro-Aire, rendering most of the rubber boats could not be used by the Maritime Group.

The boats can be utilized only with the use of paddle which made them unfit for sea and in-land water patrols. The PNP paid the Geneve SA Philippines more than P45.2 million for the defective rubber boats that the Maritime Group cannot use.

Pagdilao said the CIDG Special Investigation Team found prima facie evidence indicating the respondents violated the anti-graft law.

He added that the suppliers had conspired with the police officials during the negotiation in dictating the pricing and the number of patrol boats and outboard motors and their accessories that each supplier would deliver. He said that it was apparently dictated that 24 patrol boats will be delivered by Enviro Aire, 10 for Bay Industries Philippines and 41 by the Geneve SA Philippines.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse M. Robredo noted that negotiation instead of public bidding was recommended and approved to avoid public bidding so that contracts could be awarded to the three favored suppliers.

Pagdilao said that the police officials charged with violation of the anti-graft law have committed gross inexcusable negligence by failing to adhere to National Police Commission resolutions particularly in separately procuring the PRB and OBM, and by committing conspiracy by changing the warranty period from three years to one year.