Mayor Alfredo Lim and Colleagues Engaged In Unlawful Public Bidding

Graft charges were filed against Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim and some members of the city's Bid and Awards Committee last April 8, 2010. The complainant, Atty. Reynaldo Bagatsing filed the complaint-affidavit in response to the allegedly illegal public bidding for rehabilitation of 15 schools within the city. Bagatsing said that the bidding have benefited the involved officials. Bagatsing also believed that the bidding was especially disadvantageous to the local government of Manila as the participants in the illegal transaction manifested partiality, giving unwarranted benefits to the winning bidders.

Bagatsing immediately filed his complaint after obtaining an online copy of the bid notice abstract that came from the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement (PhilGEPS), which specifically concerns the rehabilitation of 15 Manila elementary schools. It is noteworthy, based from Bagatsing's obtained bid notice, that the said invitation was posted last February 18, 2010, and on that same post also specified that interested bidders can submit their letters of intent from February 10-16, 2010""dates that have already elapsed by the time the notice was posted. The supposed notice for open bidding was in fact a front as another accompanying document request list clearly identified that three entities were already the preferred bidders. The said entities were ALE Builders Construction and Development Corporation, Diamond Head Construction/Supplies, and VITES Construction and Development Corporation.

Atty. Reynaldo Bagatsing, erstwhile friend and legal counsel of Lim, pointed out that the transaction was carried out with undue haste, tagging it as a bidding violation. The instant public bidding is notably an infringement of the Republic Act NO. 9184 (R.A. 9148) or Government Procurement Reform Act. From the overlapping dates of letter of intent submission and the publication of the notice, it cannot be denied that the transaction was rushed. This is remotely related to the implementing rules stipulated by R.A. 9148, which stipulates that the advertising and posting of invitations to bid should be twice in a period of 14 calendar days for newspaper ads, while continuous advertisement with a maximum coverage of 14 calendar days for website posting; the issuance of documents for bidding must be carried out within 30 calendar days from the last day of the advertisement posting, while the opening of bids depends upon the amount of the contract but must not be less than 15 calendar days for contracts of up to P25 million.

Most of the key players in the said anomaly are members of the Bids and Awards Committee of Manila. They are Atty. Rafaelito Garayblas, Atty. Renato Dela Cruz, Vicky Valientes, Leanie S. Sanding, Ma. Lourdes Manlulu, Alicia T. Moscaya and Thelma Perez. Because the Bids and Awards Committee knowingly continued the scheme despite it being illegal, they are held liable for violating Republic Act No. 3019 (R.A. 3019) or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices and Republic Act No. 6713 (R.A. 6713) commonly referred to as the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees. Mayor Alfredo Lim, who consented to the act, also violated the aforementioned laws.

The city of Manila is set to lose P23,550,000.00, associated with this unscrupulous activity. Bagatsing also lamented that by entering into this form of contract, the officials, who acted based on their best interest and gave preference toward their selected bidders chose to deprive the city and its people to save funds which could later on be used for other important projects. He also called for the Obudsman to have this issue examined extensively. As such, the justice due to the residents of Manila would be granted to them.

The instances presented clearly points out how local government projects can became an avenue for the perpetration of illegal activities. Despite the presence of laws that are aimed to deter the existence of fraudulent acts within the government, the people who condone these acts are growing in number each day. As such, illegal activities within the government turns into an issue that is too hard to address. In the long run, if this issue is left unattended, the political career of Mayor Alfredo Lim could be jeopardized.

Atty. Reynaldo Bagatsing filed a graft and corruption lawsuits against Mayor Alfredo Lim and other Manila officials last April 8, 2010. The complaint was filed after Bagatsing found strong evidences about the illegal bidding for the rehabilitation of 15 classrooms in the city of Manila. The complainant believes that the bidding violation is detrimental to the city and its citizens.

Mayor Alfredo Lim And Colleagues Charged With Graft and Corruption

Last April 8, 2010, graft and corruption charges were filed against Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, placing him once again under public scrutiny. A non-existent local assembly was allegedly conspired by Lim and his allies and also falsified receipts, which is said to have costs the city of Manila worth P221, 250.00. Reynaldo L. Bagatsing, Lim's former legal adviser, was the one who filed the lawsuit. Bagatsing called for the Ombudsman to place the perpetrators in a preventive suspension.

Bagatsing also included seven other officials in the said anomaly. The seven were Atty. Rafaelito M. Garayblas, Atty. Analyn T. Marcelo-Buan, Maria Lourdes R. Malulu, Cherry Chao, Cecilia V. Sican, Leanie S. Sanding, and Vicky R. Valientes. Bagatsing pointed out that the said officials falsified the original receipts provided by Angel's Burger House. According to Bagatsing, the falsification of the said receipts were related to the fabricated assembly known as the Barangay Peace Keeping Action Team, which was allegedly spearheaded by the Barangay Bureau in all barangays in Manila last August 27, 2009.

Bagatsing outlined in his complaint how this Manila government anomaly came into fruition. It was said in the statement that in the reimbursement voucher presented by the officials, it was written that 5,500 pieces of cheeseburgers were consumed by the participants in the assembly. What truly bothered the complainant was the fact that such small burger outlet is not capable of producing 5, 500 cheeseburgers in one day, when in reality such delivery could have taken the said burger joint 15 days to complete. Adding up to this was the evidence presented by Bagatsing to support his claim""the inspection report filed on October 19, 2009, which showed that the original receipt numbers which were originally 0066 and 0067 were falsified to become 0214 and 0215, and was later on approved by the inspector, Cecilia V. Sican of the City General Services Office (CGSO).

The said forged copies that were presented to the city treasurer of Manila obtained the officials sum of P221, 250.00. As such this is a clear violation of article 217 of the revised penal code known as the malversation of public funds property, and article 171 or Falsification. This Manila government anomaly well exemplified that such release of government funds for liquidation associated with the alleged city wide Barangay Peace Keeping Action Team did not conduct the required bidding, proving that the officials failed to adhere to Section 367 of Republic Act No. 7160 (R.A. 7160), otherwise referred to as the local government code of 1991. It should be taken into consideration that the amount disembursed and reimbursed by the officials surmount the required amount indicated by Section 367 of R.A. 7160, which specifically points that only P150, 000.00 should be allotted for the procurement of supplies in one month period for all local units of Metropolitan Manila area.

Mayor Alfredo Lim was included in Bagatsing's lawsuit because he was represented by his secretary Rafaelito Garayblas. Because Garayblas certified the false and manufactured documents, it is believed that Lim, consented the illegal transaction. Lim may not have directly signed the said documents, but it must be taken into account that the authorization of his secretary also means that he unscrupulous act was done with his consent. Likewise, as Garayblas is Lim's subordinate, it is understandable that the mayor was informed about the transaction.

With the election just around the corner, political candidates are vigilant about their actions so as not get themselves involved with illegal activities. Mayor Alfredo Lim, like any other government official, was placed in the position because people trust him. However, this fraudulent transaction that he and his colleagues are allegedly involved with is a clear manifestation of betrayal of the public's trust. Therefore, it would be best for these officials to clarify the surrounding issues in order to shed light to the questions of the public.

Mayor Alfredo Lim, together with seven other Manila officials, was allegedly involved in another Manila government anomaly that is centered on the falsification and malversation of documents. Lim's former legal counsel, Reynaldo Bagatsing filed the lawsuit before the Ombudsman after he was able to secure evidences to support his claim about the involvement of the said officials and Angel's Burger House.

Bidding Gone Wrong: Lim and Colleagues Engaged In Unlawful Public Bidding

Graft charges were filed against Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim and some members of the city's Bid and Awards Committee last April 8, 2010. Atty. Reynaldo Bagatsing filed the said charges in relation to the unlawful bidding for the rehabilitation of 15 elementary schools in Manila. Bagatsing said that the bidding have benefited the involved officials. Bagatsing also believed that the bidding was especially disadvantageous to the local government of Manila as the participants in the illegal transaction manifested partiality, giving unwarranted benefits to the winning bidders.

Bagatsing immediately filed his complaint after obtaining an online copy of the bid notice abstract that came from the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement (PhilGEPS), which specifically concerns the rehabilitation of 15 Manila elementary schools. Bagatsing stated in his sworn affidavit that the bid invitation posted on February 18, 2010 also included details about the filing of letter of intent for interested bidders which were supposedly on February 10-16, 2010""dates that are impossible to comply with as they have already elapsed. Despite the notice though, the request list that accompany the said bid notice clearly outlined three entities that were favored by the committee. The said entities were ALE Builders Construction and Development Corporation, Diamond Head Construction/Supplies, and VITES Construction and Development Corporation.

Atty. Reynaldo Bagatsing, former legal counsel of Lim, emphasized that the bidding was done in due haste and identified it as a bidding violation. The instant public bidding is notably an infringement of the Republic Act NO. 9184 (R.A. 9148) or Government Procurement Reform Act. In accordance to the proofs presented by the complainant, it was apparent that the involved parties were rushing to implement the bidding, which can be seen from the overlapping dates. This is remotely related to the implementing rules stipulated by R.A. 9148, which stipulates that the advertising and posting of invitations to bid should be twice in a period of 14 calendar days for newspaper ads, while continuous advertisement with a maximum coverage of 14 calendar days for website posting; the issuance of documents for bidding must be carried out within 30 calendar days from the last day of the advertisement posting, while the opening of bids depends upon the amount of the contract but must not be less than 15 calendar days for contracts of up to P25 million.

Members of the Bids and Awards Committee mostly make up the roster of perpetrators in the said transaction. They are Atty. Rafaelito Garayblas, Atty. Renato Dela Cruz, Vicky Valientes, Leanie S. Sanding, Ma. Lourdes Manlulu, Alicia T. Moscaya and Thelma Perez. As most of the involved committee knew the illegalities involved in the bidding transaction, all of the involved officials said to have violated the provisions of Republic Act No. 3019 (R.A. 3019) or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices and Republic Act No. 6713 (R.A. 6713) commonly referred to as the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees. Mayor Alfredo Lim is also held liable for the same violations as he condoned the said acts.

The city of Manila is set to lose P23,550,000.00, associated with this unscrupulous activity. Bagatsing also stressed that involvement of the city in this form of transaction ousted it with the chance to save funds. He also called for the Obudsman to have this issue examined extensively. As such, the justice due to the residents of Manila would be granted to them.

All the evidences presented by Bagatsing clearly manifest how public projects like this could become a breeding ground for illegal activities. While various laws may be present in order to eliminate these illegal acts, the number of people who value their personal interest more than that of the public's interest are still growing in numbers each day. As such, it becomes much harder to put these issues into the forefront. If Mayor Alfredo Lim would not be able to address this matter immediately, not only will jeopardize his career but also the trust that the public has given to him.

Following the discovery of evidences that pointed towards a bidding violation, Atty. Reynaldo Bagatsing filed a complaint-affidavit against Mayor Alfredo Lim and his cohorts in the Bid and Awards Committee of the city of Manila. Aside from the bidding issues, Bagatsing also stated in his sworn affidavit that the involved participants violated the graft and corruption law as well as the ethical standards for public officials and employees.

-Julius Arante

Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim And His Untold Story

Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim has been popularly known as the city's version of John Wayne, Django Kojak and Dirty Harry.The former Western Police District (WPD) head and former Director of the NBI has been receiving countless accolades and recognition for what he was able to achieve during his stint as police officer. The media has continuously portrayed Lim as a no-nonsense, honest to goodness police officer.Moreover, Lim is now considered as a hero of Manila and admired for his courage and devotion to duty for his beloved city.

It is a sad fact that many people have bought these kinds of stories that were created and written by no less than Alfredo Lim himself. Lim has been successful in manipulating the media which has helped him in building an outstanding reputation as a former police officer. Many people were misled into believing that Manila's most outstanding policeman's rise to power is a product of years of dedication and hard work.The real story behind this fancied Manila Mayor and former MPD chief remains untold which is part of the reason why he still enjoys popularity and recognition among Manilenos.

Not too many people know about the dark side of Mayor Lim due to his constant manipulation of the media during his tenure in the MPD. Lim's well-documented exploits and heroics were fictions written by his media friends. With the help of the media sympathetic to him, Alfredo Lim's dark side were successfully covered up and remained buried for many years. Whereas, what should have been written about him was exactly the opposite of what has been touted by the media quarters.

There exist untold stories which can give us the truthful side of this former police chief. Lim's career as a police officer is exactly the opposite of what the media has been writing about him for many years. Alfredo Lim was once a corrupt cop. Lim's stint as a police officer was tainted with reported cases of corruption, utter disregard for the law, abuse of authority and human rights violations including "salvaging," shady deals and a reign of terror, all perpetrated by Lim and his cohorts.

Alfredo Lim was popularly known by his comrades in uniform as a master of manipulations.Lim knew very well the many ways of soliciting loyalty and support from his colleagues and subordinates in the police force.He went on to manipulate his subordinates and successfully got their support for his personal gain and promotion. His manipulative nature has also helped him in covering up his misdeeds and his affiliation to a number of syndicates and illegal activities. Lim is also known for his reputation as a protector of Manila's drug lords and smugglers.The former MPD chief is closely identified with one of the most powerful drug lords in Manila.Lim has been extending protection to numerous drug lords of the city including his friend Manuel Velasco, the leader of a big drug syndicate at Binondo; and even his nephew, certain Maynard Limcangco Siojo. Aside from illegal drugs, Lim is also involved in protecting big-time smugglers and smuggling syndicates.

Alfredo Lim was successful in hiding all his wrongful acts and misdeed he has done during his stint in as police chief. The media has been constantly portraying Lim as a no-nonsense; honest to goodness police officer. The dark side of Mayor Lim continues to be untold and remained uncovered. The Manila Mayor's success in portraying himself as an outstanding police officer is nothing but a product of his ability to manipulate media. The Manila Mayor's success in portraying himself as an outstanding police officer is nothing but a product of his ability to manipulate media. Alfredo Lim was successful in hiding all his wrongful acts and misdeed he has done during his stint in as police chief. The media has been constantly portraying Lim as a no-nonsense; honest to goodness police officer. Meanwhile, the dark side of Mayor Lim continues to be untold and remained uncovered.

Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim Is A Fake EDSA 1 Hero

FROM A DISTANCE By Carmen N. Pedrosa (The Philippine Star) Updated February 28, 2010 12:00 AM

In deference to the request of Jocelyn Dawis-Asuncion, daughter of Col. Jose H. Dawis who was the Chief of Police of Quezon City during EDSA 1, I am giving her space in today’s column.

She was indignant at the continuous misrepresentation of the facts repeated by her father’s boss then, Gen. Alfredo Lim who by the way is running for reelection as Mayor of Manila. She believes that Lim is burnishing his image for cheap politics at the expense of her father.

Lim used an excerpt from Nick Joaquin’s book as EDSA’s untold story finally narrated.

Here is her version of events told and retold to her by her father while he was still alive. Hers is the real untold story, not Lim’s but she did not know of any journalist who might take it up.

“Each year, every February, stories like this (published in another newspaper, not The STAR) will come out in the papers. My dad, Colonel Jose H. Dawis, the then Chief of Police of Quezon City during the time of the EDSA 1, will always tell us the story of his Commanding General who was cowardly hiding in small Antique shop in P. Tuazon the whole time laden with fear and who actually ordered him to disperse the crowd of EDSA at all cost upon orders of then President Ferdinand Marcos.

My dad, who had less than 300 people under him at the time, was ordered by Gen. Alfredo Lim to disperse the crowd of more than 100,000 and Gen Lim promised him 500 men will come from the military. My dad stood his ground and told Gen. Lim that he will not disperse the crowd who were just expressing their grievances peacefully. He got mad with my Dad’s response and started to berate my dad. My dad did not follow the orders of his superior officer. It did cross his mind that this may break his career but he stood by his decision anyway.

Sen. Butch Aquino is witness to this because my dad has always dealt with him when they would go to Quezon City to hold demonstration rallies. My dad, the Chief of Police of Quezon City, had developed a very good relationship with the opposition leaders led by Sen. Butch Aquino and then students leaders like Lean Alejandro, Senator Kiko Pangilinan, Chito Gascon and Mike Defensor. He would always allow them to protest peacefully in Quezon City and after a few hours the protestors will disperse without any incidence of violence.

It is unfortunate that my dad is not here anymore to refute all the lies peddled by General Lim. Through the years, he kept his silence knowing in his heart who the real EDSA hero is.

But I will not keep my silence. I know who the real EDSA hero is.

It is my father not General Lim. If my Dad is indeed General Lim’s friend as he claims, I wish he would stop using the name of my father and dishonoring him.

My dad is one of the real heroes of EDSA and should be counted among the hundreds of thousands of people who fought the oppression of the Marcos regime.

Source: manilawatch