A BUSINESSMAN has filed criminal and administrative complaints at the Office of the Ombudsman against Marikina City officials headed by Mayor Marcelino Teodoro over alleged irregularities in procurement transactions in 2020 and 2021.
Complainant Rico Mariano said his firm, Masie Enterprise, which sells office and school supplies, was used as a “front supplier” by respondent local government officials on several occasions, although the actual contracts went to other suppliers.
Named in the complaint together with the mayor were his wife, Marikina Rep. Marjorie Ann Teodoro, Barangay Sta. Elena, Marikina officer Marie Joy San Juan, city accountant Erlinda Gonzales, and acting city treasurers Miguel Rebanal and Florencia Gamad.
Mariano said the respondents violated Section 3 (e) and (h) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (RA 3019) and Article 217 of the Revised Penal Code, defining malversation of public funds by favoring pre-selected suppliers, unlawful intervention in a government contract, and mishandling of public funds.
Likewise, he accused them of administrative charges of grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.
The complainant identified Joy, who first approached him regarding the award of procurement contracts to Masie. He said the contacts were made either through text or Facebook Messenger.
He also said that he was “completely excluded from the process” except when he was told that the check was ready for pick up. He said this led him to conclude that his signature was forged in various documents.
“Sometimes, I would go to the City Hall of Marikina upon instructions of respondent Joy and meet with the General Services Office (GSO) or the relevant office of the LGU for me to sign the purchase order for a particular procurement,” Mariano said.
He, however, clarified that he was “never given a list of materials nor asked to bring any document, not even a simple ID.”
Among the dummy contracts he remembered were orders for 10,000 birthday envelopes, 5,000 booklets for purchase of medicines, 3,000 booklets for purchase of groceries, and 1,200 ID cards for the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA).
While he made no deliveries, the complainant said he would still get notifications from “Joy” to collect the disbursement voucher and check issued by the Marikina LGU representing payment for the ordered materials.
He said the checks bore the signatures of the mayor as the head of the procuring entity (HOPE) and of Gamad as acting treasurer.
However, other than “Joy,” the complainant had no interaction with any of the other respondents mentioned in the 53-page complaint.
Mariano cited a “Document Tracking System” showing the status of the procurement as evidence of the supposed involvement of the mayor since the supply contract papers would pass through his office.
“After receiving the check from LGU Marikina, I would deposit it into the Masie Veterans Bank account. Respondent Joy would then direct me to withdraw the funds in cash and remit them to her. In exchange for remitting the “collection” to her, respondent Joy would provide me with a commission which would be a small fraction of the amount,” the complainant said.
Sometime in 2020, Mariano said he was instructed by Joy that instead of remitting cash, he was to draw manager’s checks in favor of Maan, whom he identified as Rep. Teodoro.
From his Veteran’s Bank statements, Mariano said he traced six managers’ checks issued to “Maan” from May 2020 to January 2021 involving the combined amount of P9.58 million.
He said the same bank records of his accounts show he collected and deposited sums received from LGU Marikina totaling P26.75 million.
“I was used as a conduit, funneling funds from LGU Marikina directly into their pockets while throwing some peanuts my way,” the complainant businessman added.
