We were vindicated and we are very happy about it.

That was the reaction yesterday of Silay City Legal Officer Kara Aimee Quevenco and 16 other Silay City officials who were cleared by the Court of Appeals of the findings of the Ombudsman that led to their suspensions for eight months and one day.

Quevenco and the 16 others had maintained from the start that the charges lodged against them by Jose Lindy Chan and Jojo Sumiller for the alleged anomalous P18 million computerization project of the Silay City government had no basis.

Mayor Jose Montelibano has asked the Silay Sangguniang Panlungsod to authorize the release of funds to pay the 17 for the months when they were suspended.

The Court of Appeals 18th division in Cebu City has set aside a decision of the office of the Ombudsman ordering the suspension of 17 officials of Silay City for eight months and one day.

The June 25 decision of the CA signed by Executive Justice Pampio Abarintos, had reversed the Aug. 3, 2010 decision of the Ombudsman stating that the 17 had committed conduct prejudicial to public service.

The CA said that, based on the evidence presented, the petitioners were able to sufficiently prove that the computerization system procured from Systems and Plan Integrator and Development Corp. were of proprietary nature and that direct contracting as an alternative mode of procurement was justified.

The CA also found that the ICT provider not only had the copyrights to specific programs that Silay City needed, but also offered them at the lowest cost.

Upon careful scrutiny of the records and documents presented, it found that the officials of Silay City had correctly followed the procedures as outlined in the government procurement policy board manual with respect to direct contracting, the CA added.

The CA also cited evidence presented showing that, after the computerization project was implemented, it redounded to the benefit of the local government unit as shown by a marked improvement in revenue generation and various awards received by the city in terms of collection efficiency.*CPG

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