2 LWUA execs indicted for graft over Ecija water proj

GUIMBA, Nueva Ecija -- The Office of the Ombudsman has indicted two officials of the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) for graft in connection with the implementation of the Guimba Water Supply Project (GWSP) here in 1998.

Former LWUA Administrator Lorenzo Jamora and Acting Deputy Administrator Wilfredo Feleo together with Renato Legaspi, president and chair of Green Asia Construction and Development Corporation face criminal indictments for violation of the anti-graft law.

 The Ombudsman also found Jamora and Feleo found guilty of Gross Neglect of Duty and Grave Misconduct, ordering their dismissal from government service.

In a resolution, the Office said that in 1998, LWUA entered into a contract for the implementation of the Small Towns Water Supply Sector Project in Guimba, Nueva Ecija.

On May, 29 2001, the Guimba Water District (GWD) entered into a Financial Assistance Contract with LWUA amounting to P60,372,000.

After compliance with bidding requirements, the contract for the design and construction of the GWSP was awarded to Green Asia with a total project cost of P30 million. 

In October 2003, GWD issued a Certificate of Project Completion but attached a punch list detailing the works that needed correction or completion.

Notwithstanding the non-completion of the project,  Feleo and Jamora approved on July 12, 2004 the processing of the final billing and check representing the payment to Green Asia amounting to P1.113 million.

Documents show that the Certificate of Final Acceptance was issued by GWD only on August 5, 2004.

The Ombudsman investigators found that the disbursement of the amount to Green Asia despite the absence of the Certificate of Final Acceptance is unjustified and unauthorized.

Green Asia unduly profited from the transaction since it was not entitled to payment at that time for failure to address the works that needed correction or completion, the resolution said.

"The collective action of Feleo and Jamora in ensuring the advance release of the check to Green Asia and the actual receipt by Legaspi thereof despite the absence of the Certificate of Final Acceptance at that time constitutes positive and convincing evidence that they pursued the same criminal purpose and objective in giving unwarranted benefit to Green Asia," the resolution added.

The complaint against LWUA Senior Deputy Administrator Emmanuel Malicdem was dismissed for lack of evidence.