Ombudsman indicts ex-Tourism chief Ace Durano over calendar mess

Former Tourism Secretary Joseph Felix Mari "Ace" Durano has been indicted for graft at the Sandiganbayan over the development of the agency's 2009 calendar that allegedly failed to undergo a public bidding.

Durano will face one count of violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, according to the charge sheet filed by Graft Investigation and Prosecution Officer III Maria Vida Hechanova on March 22.

His co-accused in the case are former Department of Tourism Undersecretary Oscar Palabyab and then-Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) officials Grave Yoro, Eduardo Jarque Jr., Evelyn Cajigal, and Adriana Flor.

Durano allegedly caused undue injury to the government when he entered into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with PDP Digital Inc. worth P2.7 million in October 2008 for the "conceptualization and development" of the DOT's 2009 wall calendar.

The Office of the Ombudsman said Durano unilaterally signed the MOA after issuing a certification identifying PDP Digital Inc. as the DOT's supplier on December 2, 2008.

The Ombudsman said the BAC then concurred with the certification of Durano "without first conducting public bidding or industry survey to determine the supply source prior to the commencement of the procurement process."

A bail bond of P30,000 has been recommended each of the accused.

The case signed by Ombudsman Samuel Martires on January 29 has been raffled off to the Sandiganbayan's Seventh Division. —KG, GMA News