The Philippine government's Ombudsman has suspended a senior technology official for six months without pay over allegations he helped award government contracts worth more than ₱1.5 billion ($24 million) to a company he founded and held a stake in.
Undersecretary for E-Government David L. Almirol faces administrative complaints of Grave Misconduct, Conduct Prejudicial to the Best Interest of the Service and violations of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, the Ombudsman announced yesterday.
"In ordering the preventive suspension, the Ombudsman found strong evidence supporting the administrative charges against Almirol," the announcement said.
Almirol founded Multisys Technologies Corporation, a software development firm offering services and packaged products, and served as its CEO for more than a decade before joining the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) in 2022 at the request of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to work on improving e-government services.
The Ombudsman alleged that between 2023 and 2025 DICT awarded at least eight contracts valued at over ₱1.5 billion ($24 million) to entities linked with Multisys. The contracts covered ICT consultancy, e-government application deployment, web-based messaging services, cloud infrastructure, data center colocation and software subscriptions.
Philippine law required Almirol to divest his stake in Multisys within 60 days of taking office. The Ombudsman alleges he missed that deadline but later complied. It is not alleged he issued contracts during the period he continued to hold Multisys shares.
The Ombudsman said the suspension was necessary because Almirol's continued role "could prejudice the investigation, particularly given his control and custody of documents and evidence relevant to the case." It stressed that the decision does not pre-judge the matter but is "a precautionary measure intended to preserve the integrity of the proceedings and ensure an impartial and unimpeded investigation."
Marcos Jr. made rooting out corruption a key plank of his platform and created an agency to tackle the problem, though it is felt that some anti-corruption actions may have been partly politically motivated. Past tech-related scandals in the Philippines include a 2022 case in which the Department of Education overpaid for poor-quality laptops.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The case goes to the heart of the Philippines' digital government program, with contracts for e-government applications, cloud infrastructure and data services awarded to companies linked to the official overseeing that portfolio.
- It tests President Marcos Jr.'s anti-corruption platform, which he made central to his presidency, at a time when some observers question whether enforcement is politically even-handed.
- A suspension of a senior DICT figure could slow or scrutinise e-government projects already underway.
Background
Almirol left a decade-long tenure as CEO of Multisys Technologies in 2022 to join DICT at Marcos's request, to work on improving e-government services. Philippine law requires public officials to divest holdings in companies within 60 days of taking office, a requirement the Ombudsman alleges Almirol missed before later complying.
The Ombudsman's announcement stresses the suspension is precautionary, intended to protect evidence and the integrity of an ongoing investigation, not a finding of guilt. Anti-corruption enforcement in the Philippines has previously been accused of being selectively applied, and tech procurement in the country has a recent record of problems, including a 2022 Department of Education deal that overpaid for laptops.
Key Perspectives
The Ombudsman: Says strong evidence supports the administrative charges and that leaving Almirol in post could prejudice the investigation given his control and custody of relevant documents. It frames the suspension as a protective measure, not a pre-judgment.
Almirol: He is not quoted in the Ombudsman's announcement, and the account of events is the Ombudsman's. Notably, it is not alleged he issued contracts during the period he continued to hold Multisys shares, and he is said to have eventually complied with the divestment requirement.
Critics and skeptics: Some observers feel anti-corruption actions under the Marcos administration may be partly politically motivated, raising questions about whether enforcement targets are chosen on merit.
What to Watch
- Whether the investigation leads to formal charges and whether the eight contracts are reviewed, renegotiated or cancelled.
- Whether Almirol challenges the suspension or the allegations before the courts or the civil service commission.
- The wider effect on DICT's e-government rollout, and whether the case prompts tighter procurement rules for technology contracts.