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THE OFFICE of the Ombudsman in the Visayas is willing to reinvestigate the two cases returned by the Sandiganbayan over allegedly overpriced lampposts, but only when Tanodbayan Merciditas Gutierrez gives the word.
Two of the six cases on the lamppost controversy were returned because of lack of supporting documents. But once the documents are obtained, a reinvestigation may be called only if Gutierrez gave the order, said Assistant Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Virginia Palanca-Santiago.
Santiago said the case against officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways in Central Visayas (DPWH-7) lacked several documents to support it, while the case against former Mandaue City mayor Thadeo Ouano lacked a report from the Commission on Audit (COA).
Santiago also clarified that the case against Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Arturo Radaza was not among those returned by the Sandiganbayan to the Visayas Ombudsman.
The case against Ouano, who was mayor of Mandaue City when the lampposts were installed for the 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Cebu, will be ready for reinvestigation once the COA in Central Visayas (COA-7) submits its report.
However, the report is still with COA?s main office in Manila, Santiago said.
Along with Ouano, other Mandaue City officials charged for the lamppost anomalies are former acting city engineer Hidelisa Latonio, former assistant city engineer Gergorio Omo and former city engineers Mario Gerolaga, Alfredo Sanchez Sr. and Rosalina Denque.
Among the DPWH-7 officials involved in the lamppost case are former regional director Robert Lala, former assistant regional director and bids and awards committee chair Marlina Alvizo, and six others.
Among the Lapu-Lapu City officials implicated in the case are Radaza, city engineer Julito Cuizon, assistant city engineer Fernando Tagaag Jr. and engineer Rogelio Veloso.
The heads of the lamppost contractors ? Isabelo Braza of Fabmik Construction and Equipment Corp. and Gerardo Surla of Gampik Construction and Development Inc. ? face cases for the alleged overpricing.
Last Oct. 15, a memorandum signed by Gutierrez and State Prosecutor Dennis Villa-Ignacio stated that the two cases were returned to the Visayas Ombudsman.
The memorandum cited that the Sandiganbayan would have difficulty proving the lamppost deals were anomalous with the documents provided.
The prosecutor said an investigation by the Visayas Ombudsman should be conducted to support the allegations against the officials.
