An internal audit at the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has raised possible conflict-of-interest concerns involving Undersecretary David Almirol Jr. and his former company Multisys. More than P1.5 billion in eGov-related contracts have gone to PLDT and its subsidiaries since 2023. Almirol denies any conflict, stating procurement is handled by another undersecretary.
An internal audit report dated June 5, 2025, at the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) highlighted potential conflict-of-interest issues stemming from Undersecretary David Almirol Jr.'s prior role as founder and CEO of Multisys Technologies Corporation for over a decade. PLDT, holding a 45.73% stake in Multisys since its 2018 investment of P2.15 billion, secured at least eight eGov-related contracts worth approximately P1.55 billion starting November 2023.
Almirol took his oath as undersecretary for e-Government on August 4, 2022. However, Multisys's Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings showed inconsistencies in his ownership. The first General Information Sheet (GIS), notarized January 24, 2022, listed him as president with a 54.22% stake. A second GIS, notarized October 27, 2022—over two months after his oath—still showed him with a 49.21% stake. This violated Republic Act 6713, which mandates divestment within 60 days of appointment.
The contracts, including eLGU system deployment, eGov app implementation, cloud services, and data center services, were awarded to ePLDT, Smart, Vitro, and PLDT. Examples include a P292.4 million contract for eLGU in November 2023 and P133.7 million for the eGov app in December 2023. One used negotiated procurement.
The audit noted risks in hiring ex-Multisys staff or awarding to ePLDT, creating a 'revolving door' perception. Almirol stated, 'I have no control over the biddings…there’s another [undersecretary] who handles biddings.' He mentioned contracts also went to Globe and Converge, though not yet visible in public records. PLDT affirmed compliance with all processes.
In July 2025, President Marcos praised Almirol for personally coding the eGov app, which integrates government services like PhilHealth and BIR.