NOTE: THIS STORY WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE BOHOL CHRONICLE’S SUNDAY PRINT EDITION.
A “shadow” procurement operation of the previous administration of the provincial government was busted by the Aumentado administration.
Provincial Administrator Aster Caberte revealed to the Chronicle that three contractual Capitol personnel who were manning the shadow operation were not renewed of their contracts after they were identified to be the “executors” of the syndicated operation during the administration of former Gov. Art Yap.
Caberte said two separate groups were operating as the Provincial Procurement and Management Unit (PPMU), one, operating by remote control outside the Capitol.
She said there were PPMU-1 and PPMU-2, the latter giving instructions by remote control.
The provincial administrator described the operation as “well entrenched.”
Per investigation, the PPMU-1 will receive phone calls from PPMU-2 on which transactions be approved or not and which bidders will be awarded the contracts.
The alleged mastermind of the shadow procurement unit could not be identified as the operation was done outside the Capitol. She described the operation as “very systematic” making the PPMU-1 a mere rubber stamp of PPMU-2.
The dismantling of PPMU-2 paved the way for the streamlining of bidding procedures implemented by the office of the Provincial Administrator.
Caberte said the streamlining resulted in the transparent bidding of all projects under the Bids and Awards Committee chaired by Provincial Attorney Handel Lagunay, a trusted lieutenant of Gov. Aris Aumentado.
TRANSPARENCY
Ever since the dismantling of PPMU-2, transactions at the Capitol are now transparent as she cited the performance of Raulito Rabuya, head of the Provincial Procurement and Management Unit (PPMU) whose 30 personnel were briefed on how proper bidding and transactions be made transparent.
Procurement and claims are now strictly monitored which has resulted in the delay in the salaries of contractual employees as a rigid review is now being conducted.
The release of salaries of regular employees is now back to normal after streamlining the procedures, she said.
ONE VITAL ACCOMPLISHMENT
The collection of PhilHealth payments due to the provincial government received a highly commendable accomplishment after the receipt of a lump sum payment of P128 million, Caberte said.
Provincial Treasurer Eustaquio Socorin sought the assistance of top Capitol officials on how to effectively collect PhilHealth payments on patients admitted at the various provincial government-owned hospitals.
After streamlining procedures, PhilHealth is now remitting payments every week to the provincial government.
Gone were the days when PhilHealth payments were not attended to, the provincial administrator concluded.
