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MANILA - The Office of the Ombudsman has filed graft charges against former Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) president Winston Garcia over the allegedly anomalous contract for the multi-million peso eCard project in 2004.
Also named as respondents in the case are GSIS officials at the time the contract was awarded, including:
- Enriqueta Disuanco, Vice President;
- Benjamin Vivas, Jr., Senior Vice President;
- Hermogenes Concepcion, Jr., Board of Trustees-Chairman;
- Elmer Bautista, Board of Trustees-Member;
- Fulgencio Factoran, Board of Trustees-Member;
- Floriño Ibañez, Board of Trustees-Member;
- Aida Nocete, Board of Trustees-Member;
- Reynaldo Palmiery, Board of Trustees-Member;
- Ellenita Tumala-Martinez, Board of Trustees-Member; and
- Leonora Vasquez-De Jesus, Board of Trustees-Member.
The GSIS entered into a contract with the Union Bank of the Philippines (UBP) as the depository bank for the eCard system. The eCard system was supposedly used for loan and benefit transactions of GSIS members.
The Information stated that GSIS awarded the eCard project to UBP "without complying with the requirements/procedures set forth under Section 49 of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act 9184, despite the fact that the closing date for submission of bid proposals has not been closed and prior to the recommendation of the Committee tasked to evaluate the proposals."
The Commission on Audit's Annual Audit Report in 2014 stated that the contract did not go through the regular bidding process.
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