The Court of Appeals has upheld the decision of the Office of the Ombudsman to place under preventive suspension the head of the intelligence and investigation unit of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency pending investigation for alleged violation of the anti-graft and procurement laws.
In a 10-page decision, the CA Associate Justice Priscilla Baltazar-Padilla ruled that no grave abuse of discretion can be imputed on the Office of the Ombudsman in ordering the suspension of PDEA Director for Intelligence and Investigation Service Randy Pedroso last July 19, 2017.
Pedroso was preventively suspended together with five other PDEA officials following the filing of a complaint by the Field Investigation Bureau of the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for the Military and Other Law Enforcement Offices for malversation through falsification, violation of Section 3 (e) of Republic Act 3019 or Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act for giving undue preference to a private party in awarding a government contract, violation of Section10 of Republic Act 9184 which requires all procurement be subject to competitive bidding, grave misconduct and serious dishonesty.
The charges arose from the alleged anomalous transaction involving the leasing of luxurious vehicles for PDEA’s operation from purported spurious companies – SSMM Vehicle Rental Services and BEMV Transport Services for the period January to June 2013 using public funds.