Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Undersecretary David Almirol denied allegations of grave misconduct and violations of the Code of Conduct for public officials over his former ownership of Multisys Technologies Corp., following an order by the Office of the Ombudsman to suspend him preventively for six months without pay.
In an interview on DZRH's Dos Por Dos, Almirol explained that he divested his ownership in Multisys in September 2022, within the required 60-day period after his appointment as DICT undersecretary in August that year.
He also noted that PLDT has since acquired the company and holds majority ownership.
“Wala pong na-award na isang project sa Multisys,” Almirol said, rejecting allegations that the company received government contracts during his tenure.
He said he would not have allowed Multisys to secure government projects even after relinquishing his ownership, citing concerns about the propriety of such arrangements.
“Wala pong kontrata ang Multisys dyan [DICT] ang nag-bidding dyan ay itong PLDT na siyang bumili ng Multisys,” he added.
The Ombudsman, however, said its investigation found that at least eight DICT contracts awarded from November 2023 to May 2025 went to companies with financial relationships with Multisys.
The contracts, which covered various e-government services and information and communications technology projects, totaled approximately 1.55 billion pesos.
The complaints stemmed from a June 2025 report by the DICT Internal Audit Unit that flagged a possible conflict of interest involving the hiring of former Multisys personnel and the awarding of contracts to other related companies.
According to the Ombudsman's order, Multisys' general information sheet notarized on Oct. 27, 2022, and received by the Securities and Exchange Commission on Nov. 2, 2022, still listed Almirol as a stockholder holding 49.21% of the company's shares.
He was removed from the stockholder list in a subsequent filing notarized on Nov. 18 and received by the SEC on Nov. 21, 2022.
The Ombudsman said the records provided sufficient grounds for the administrative charges of grave misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service and violation of Republic Act No. 6713, or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.
Almirol said that the complaint could be connected to the DICT's anti-corruption initiatives, including efforts to simplify information and communications technology projects and develop in-house systems to reduce reliance on external contractors.
The Ombudsman said the preventive suspension was intended to protect the integrity of the investigation, citing concerns that Almirol's continued presence in office could affect the proceedings because of his access to relevant documents and evidence.
The suspension order is immediately executory and will remain in effect until the administrative case is resolved.
The Ombudsman stressed that preventive suspension is not a penalty or a determination of liability, but a precautionary measure to ensure an impartial investigation.
