Mr. President, please investigate NAPM-Pampanga owes local caterer P1.2-M

BY: MARNA H. DAGUMBOY & JOEL P. MAPILES









Amount represents still unpaid food packs used in P-Noy’s inauguration


CITY OF SAN FERNANDO --- The owner of a catering service in this city has assailed officials of the Noynoy Aquino for President Movement (NAPM)-Pampanga Chapter for the still “unpaid” P1.2-million in food packs they ordered for the President’s inauguration on June 30 at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila.
Joseph L. Trajano, proprietor of JLT Catering Services, said President Benigno Aquino III should conduct a full-blown investigation on unpaid obligation of NPAM-Pampanga, headed by person-in-charge Alejandra “Sandra” Quiwa Bansil.
Trajano recounted that Bansil, together with a certain Jojo Viray, inquired about his business and asked him to cater to 50,000 people who would attend P-Noy’s inauguration.
Their catering contract dated June 26 signed by Bansil, amounting to P2,250,000, stipulated the provision of 50,000 pieces of fried chicken, 50,000 pieces of bread buns and 50,000 pieces of 350 ml bottled water with a unit price of P45 each.
On the same day after signing of the contract, Bansil issued a Bank of Commerce check amounting to P2,250,000, with check number 0000065 under account name “Bansil, Alejandra Q.” dated July 03.
According to the agreement, the said check served as Bansil’s downpayment.
The JLT Catering Services then started working and purchasing stocks for the said service, as only four days were left to the inauguration. During P-Noy’s inauguration, Trajano said the JLT Catering Services complied with the agreement stipulated in the contract. They were at the occasion as early as 4;30 am, with 8:00 am as the serving time stated in the contract.

Trajano said in a press statement that streamers were even installed on the container vans rented by JLT Catering Services which reads: “DONATED BY: SANDY Q. BANSIL, NAPM PAMPANGA CHAPTER.”
During the occasion, however, the JLT crew was advised by organizers to serve the food packs by 11:00 am, instead of the agreed time.
“We all thought that the food will only be served at the Quirino Grandstand as stated in the contract, yet by 3:00 pm, the organizers ordered us to distribute the rest of the food packs at the Quezon City Memorial Circle for the Inaugural Party,” Trajano said.
“We finished giving away the food packs to the masses by 10:00 pm, and left Quezon City at 1:00 am,” he lamented.
On the morning of July 3, Bansil paid Trajano a visit and asked for a week’s extension to settle the account, telling them that her Bank of Commerce account was already closed.
“Ms. Sandy had asked for another week to settle and issued six checks from another Bank of Commerce checking account as follows: July 8, 2010- P500,000; July 15, 2010- P250,000; July 20, 2010- P250,000; July 25, 2010- P250,000,” Trajano said.
Of the six checks Bansil issued, three checks with a total amount of P500,000 each were postdated July 8, 2010.
Two of the three checks were cleared by the bank, Trajano said, and he was able to collect a total of P1,000,000 on July 8, 2010.
“The other P500,000 check postdated July 8 was returned by the bank due to insufficient balance,” Trajano said.
The remaining checks Bansil issued, including the check stamped with “stop payment” on July 8, amount to P1,250,000.
According to Trajano, Bansil promised she would settle the remaining balance “as soon as possible.”
“Ena man maglambat ini, masolve mu rin, panalangin mu hanggang Friday akwa kune ing appointment ku para makaadvance ku kareng financer ku. Pakiayus la reng resibo tamu madame, para apakit kula kang Balsy Aquino keng meeting mi keng Martes para atin tamung proofs of purchase. Pepadevelop kunala pictures (JLT documentation of the food distribution during the inaugurals),” Bansil told Trajano through text messages.
However, a text message from the NAPM secretariat stated Bansil did not charge the food packs to the NAPM.
“Very happy nga ang Presidente (President Noy Aquino) dahil di nagcharge si Sandy at pinamigay lamang niya ang packed lunch sa Luneta at sa QCMC, kaya sana mabigyan natin siya ng panahon. Nagpakain siya sa maraming tao na gutom. Salamat uli Joseph sa pagpasensiya mo kay Sandy,” a text message from the NAPM Secretariat stated.
No Communication
Since then, Trajano’s communication with Bansil through phone had stopped.
“We can no longer reach her by phone,” Trajano lamented.
‘I kept on sending her text messages, but she’s been telling us lots of alibis and reasons for the delay,” he claime