CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – What’s with the CGS Solid Air-con and Refrigeration Inc. that it corners all “cooling” transactions at the city hall here?
Ferdinand Caylao, the city administrator, and Edwin Santiago, the vice mayor. So once and future mayor Reynaldo B. Aquino answered his own question at Monday’s press conference in Bliss Hotel here.
Aquino, running again for mayor, disclosed multi-million transactions allegedly made by the CGS with the city government.
“Just last February 22, a total of PP2,033,720 was awarded to CGS Solid Air-con and the CGS Safety Systems for goods and services including fire extinguishers,” Aquino said. “Some P78,000 was spent for the supply, delivery and installation of an air-conditioning unit at the Office of the Mayor at the Heroes Hall that day.”
A letter-request for the investigation the Santiago over the CGS transactions was lodged with the Ombudsman by one Fernando S. Rosario on December 18, 2006 while a similar letter was filed against Caylao by the same Rosario on February 14, 2007.
Attached to the letters was an itemized list of transactions made by CGS Solid Air-con from January 2005 to September 2006 totalling P2,296,565.56.
Transactions made with CGS Safety System in March, May and October 2005 amounted to P148,091.02.
New Horizon Enterprises, a dealer in office supplies allegedly owned by Caylao’s sister, was also listed as having been paid P525,229.52 in an eight-month period.
Conflict of interest
“The letters to the Ombudsman charged Santiago and Caylao conflict of interest, of possible graft for using their positions to advance personal interests. But I would just like them to explain all these transactions to the people of San Fernando,” Aquino said. “The people have all the right to know.”
In a separate sheet, Aquino showed eight transactions awarded by the city government to “winning bidder” CGS Solid-Air-con for “contract of service for repair of air-conditioning units” and “supply, delivery and installation of air-conditioning units” in various offices of city hall totalling P912,000 undertaken in August, September, October and November of 2012.
“They are already facing investigation at the Ombudsman and still they have the temerity to go on with their questionable transactions,” Aquino said.
Punto! tried but failed to get the side of Santiago and Caylao as of presstime.
