LRay Villafuerte faces graft case anew

Camarines Sur Representative Luis Raymund Villafuerte Jr. has been charged with a second graft case at the Sandiganbayan, this time over the alleged anomalous security service contract he entered into as governor from July 2008 to December 2009.

Ombudsman graft investigator Gian Carla Hernal filed a complaint for one count of violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act against Villafuerte.

Then-provincial accountant Leticia de Leon Aliorde, executive assistant Richard Fooshee Rivera, rural health physician Bernadette Galan Carlos, and medical officer Gerardo Nolasco Villafuerte also face the same charge.

The Sandiganbayan received the complaint on Monday, June 18.

Villafuerte and his co-accused allegedly acted with "manifest partiality, evident bad faith, and/or gross inexcusable negligence" when they gave unwarranted benefits to Tigon Security Investigation and General Services Inc.

As head of procurement, Villafuerte entered into a contract with Tigon Security and approved the disbursement vouchers for the payment following a certification from Aliorde that supporting documents for the security services were complete.

Rivera, Carlos, and Gerardo also certified obligation requests that the payments for Tigon Security were valid and legal.

The Ombudsman, however, said the contract for security services failed to undergo a public bidding as required under the Government Procurement Reform Act. It did not state the amount of the contract with Tigon Security.

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

Aside from this, Villafuerte is facing a graft case at the Sandiganbayan Sixth Division in connection with the Camirines Sur provincial government’s alleged illegal procurement of petroleum products worth P5 million from a private company without holding a public bidding in 2010.

Confident case will be dismissed

Meanwhile, Villafuerte said he is confident his case will be dismissed, pointing out that the government incurred no damages since the Tigon Security was able to fulfill its contract.

"I am confident that this case will be dismissed in due time for being baseless and nothing more than an instrument of political harassment. No money was lost by the government as the service was fully rendered by the security company," Villafuerte said in a text message.

The lawmaker said the contract was simply renewed during his gubernatorial stint. He said the security agency also offered lower rates compared to prevailing market prices then.

"The security agency was hired by the provincial capitol for more than 10 years even before I took over as governor in 2004. I merely renewed its contract after I assumed office," Villafuerte said. —KG/RSJ, GMA News