THE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has asked the Office of the Ombudsman to file graft charges against current and former National Printing Office (NPO) officials over an allegedly anomalous P74-million printing deal with three private companies.
In a seven-page transmittal letter, the NBI accused NPO Director Sherwin Prose Castaneda, former Officer in Charge Rolando Caluag and retired employee Ruben Dancel of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act or Republic Act (RA) 3019.
Also recommended for prosecution were Western Visayas Printing Corp. (WVPC) Vice President Edwin Malapajo, Bestforms Inc. President Benjamin Yam, Triprint Corp. President Ramil Tamayo and Metrocolor Corp. General Manager Celso Viray.
The case stemmed from the multi-million-peso contract awarded by the Social Security System to the NPO for the bulk purchase of 870,000 pads of Contributions Payment Form for fiscal year 2016.
Based on a preliminary investigation, the NBI’s Anti-Fraud Division found that even though the NPO had already awarded the printing contract to WVPC, work orders were nevertheless granted to three other firms—Best Forms Security Printer for P34 million; Tri-Print Work for P27 million; and Metro Color for P15 million.
The NBI said the agreements entered into by the respondents were disadvantageous to the government, given that the printing machines were not under the control of the NPO. The paper, ink and other consumables used for the printers also came from the same firms without proper public bidding.
“This is contrary to a proper contact of lease, where the NPO is supposed to simply rent the printing machines and use for its printing jobs. This printing machine, owing to the security nature of the printing jobs, should also be within the control of the NPO, and operated by its personnel,” the NBI said.
Investigators found the NPO only had a “highly disadvantageous” 15-percent share of the profits from the deal, while 85 percent went to the private firms.
“This is clearly disadvantageous to the government and punishable under RA 3019,” the NBI said in the complaint.
The NBI conducted the probe upon the request of Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) for the NBI look into the NPO deal after a PCOO investigation uncovered alleged violations of the Government Procurement Reform Act and the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. The NPO is an attached agency of the PCOO.