Manila:The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the preventive suspension of Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Undersecretary for E-Government David L. Almirol Jr. due to an alleged conflict of interest involving PHP1.55 billion in government contracts.
According to Philippines News Agency, the Ombudsman issued a seven-page order stating there are sufficient grounds to suspend Almirol for six months without pay. This decision comes as the Ombudsman investigates administrative complaints of grave misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, and violations of Republic Act (RA) 6713, which is the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.
The allegations originated from a June 2025 report by the DICT Internal Audit Unit, which highlighted a potential conflict of interest concerning the hiring of former Multisys personnel and awarding contracts to related companies. The Ombudsman found compelling evidence supporting these administrative charges against Almirol, expressing concerns that his continued presence could impact the investigation due to his access to relevant documents and evidence.
Almirol, who founded Multisys Technologies Corporation in 2010, held positions as president and CEO before becoming DICT Undersecretary in August 2022. He played a significant role in developing the eGovPH Super App. The investigation revealed that from November 2023 to May 2025, eight DICT contracts, totaling PHP1.55 billion, were awarded to companies financially linked to Multisys. These contracts included services such as ICT consultancy, e-government application deployment, and software subscriptions.
Financial records indicate that Multisys reported revenues from these companies amounting to PHP110.8 million in 2023 and PHP514.6 million in 2024 for managed services. Furthermore, Almirol was listed as a stockholder holding 49.21 percent of Multisys shares beyond the 60-day divestment period required by RA 6713. His removal as a stockholder was only documented in a subsequent General Information Sheet in November 2022.
