The Negros Occidental provincial government has issued a show cause order to a supplier linked to the former provincial General Services Office (GSO) head, Provincial Legal Officer Alberto Nellas Jr., said Thursday, April 20.
The show cause order was issued against Sheen Consumers Cooperative because of the allegation that Lucile Chavez Pines, former provincial GSO head, had been using its name in seeking investments from private individuals to finance supplies stipulated in purchase orders.
Sheen actively bids to provide general merchandize to the Capitol, Nellas said.
As of now it is under investigation, its reply is being evaluated, Nellas said.
The provincial government had cleared Pines for retirement last year as she had no pending administrative cases, Nellas said.
They are not aware of the recent case filed against her by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), he said.
He said an alleged group of investors several months ago had lodged an administrative complaint against Pines seeking her dismissal in relation to her alleged investment schemes.
Since the nature of the complaint was administrative that was lodged after she retired there was nothing they could do anymore, he said.
The NBI apprehended Pines on Monday in an entrapment operation and filed a complaint against her before the Office of the City Prosecutor of Bacolod for alleged estafa due to misrepresentation, NBI Bacolod Chief Renoir Baldovino said Wednesday.
Senior Assistant Prosecutor Elnathan Lim in his inquest resolution Tuesday, converted the complaint against Pines into a regular preliminary investigation and ordered her release from NBI detention.
Pines was ordered to file her counter-affidavit and other countervailing statements within ten 10 days.
She will answer the NBI complaint in the right time and forum, Pines told DIGICAST NEGROS on Wednesday.
The NBI on March 30 received a request for investigative assistance against Pines who allegedly claimed she represented Sheen Consumers Cooperative that won in the public bidding for supply of various materials for the province of Negros Occidental, the complaint filed before the prosecutor’s office said.
Pines allegedly told the complainant that she had several Purchase Orders (POs) in the name of Sheen Consumers Cooperative for supply of various materials amounting to millions of pesos and she was looking for financiers in order for them to supply the materials so that they could be paid by the province, it added.
She allegedly offered between 3 to 8 percent interest to convince complainants to dole out money to her for financing the POs, the NBI complaint said.*