By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas has granted the motion for reconsideration filed by Valladolid Municipal Planning Office assistant head Cherryl Aguirre, in relation to a graft and administrative charge filed against her.
The motion for reconsideration was signed by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales and Graft Investigation and Prosecution Officer 1 Gian Carla Hernal, dated March 30 of this year.
Based on Aguirre’s legal arguments, she was impleaded as a respondent in the instant case based on the wrongful assumption that she was a member of the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) at the time when the subject procurement was made in relation to the repair of Mechanical Dryers and purchase of Palay seeds.
To disprove the allegations, she referred to the price quotation issued on March 2, 2009, in which her name was not present in the list of BAC members who approved the quotation.
Aguirre also said she was appointed as the head of Municipal Accountant and therefore prohibited from being a member of the BAC in accordance to Circular No. 2003-004 issued by the Commission on Audit (COA).
Aguirre expressed elation on the latest order of the Ombudsman, saying she has been vindicated at last./WDJ