DICT undersecretary David Almirol Jr.
David Almirol/Facebook
Suspended Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Undersecretary David Almirol Jr. has denied allegations against him before the Office of the Ombudsman, asserting that he had no stake in the ₱1.55-billion worth of contracts linked to his former firm.
“I firmly maintain that there was no conflict of interest. I had fully divested my interests in Multisys since September 1, 2022, after I assumed office on August 4, 2022,” Almirol said in a Facebook post.
“The late filing of the [General Information Sheet] was out of my control,” he added.
The statement came after the Ombudsman placed him under a six-month suspension without pay based on a report from the DICT Internal Audit Unit, which flagged the hiring of former Multisys Technologies Corporation personnel and the awarding of contracts to its related companies.
Almirol founded Multisys in 2010 and served as its president and chief executive officer until his appointment to the DICT.
Investigators found that eight contracts worth ₱1.55 billion were awarded to companies related to the firm from November 2023 to May 2025.
It was later discovered that Multisys recorded revenues totaling ₱625.4 million from companies that received the contracts under the “managed services” line item.
The Ombudsman said administrative complaints for grave misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, and violation of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees were being resolved.
Almirol, for his part, said he acted in good faith when he entered public service, with a “genuine intention and passion to bring good change” to the country.
He also rejected claims that Multisys had been awarded government contracts, saying the contracts under investigation were awarded to PLDT Group companies after competitive bidding.
Almirol expressed his commitment to complying with the Ombudsman’s directives, recognizing its role in upholding accountability in public office.
He added that he remains dedicated to serving the public by supporting efforts to digitize government services.
“I stand by my integrity and my record of public service. I trust that the complete facts will speak for themselves,” he said.
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