Bids of 2 firms seized inside DPWH office: Singson urged probe P107M road projects

By Gina Dizon

BONTOC, Mountain Province – Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson was urged by the Volunteers Against Corruption here to investigate the bidding of P107 million worth of projects for this province which were “tainted” and allegedly anomalous.

This, after bid documents of two private construction firms were allegedly seized from the companies’ representatives by individuals inside the Dept. of Public Works and Highways provincial office here so they would not be able to participate in the bidding which commenced despite their protests.

Ernie G. Baggao (EGB) and Peter B. Omengan (PBO) officers said they were barred from joining the June 1 bidding conducted by the provincial district of the DPWH’s bids and awards committee after their bid documents were seized.

They said the obvious intention of the documents-grabbing was to stop their participation to bid for construction of 67 million road projects in the municipality of Tadian.

Robbery with intimidation charges were filed by officers of EGB and PBO against the suspects, said town police chief Senior Insp. Pablo Undalos in a report.

A police report said Mark Padalla, project engineer of PBO construction based in Tabuk, Kalinga was accosted by around 10 unidentified male persons pretending to be personnel of the DPWH who forcibly took from him three bid documents sealed in an envelope for three projects.

The men allegedly told Padalla that they will be the ones to bring the bid documents to the conference room where the bidding was going to take place.

Jeomar Colalong from Tabuk also complained that his bid document was reportedly taken by one  person who allegedly told him that he will bring the bid documents to the conference room.

The same police report also revealed that Peter Padon representing Isabela-based EGB Construction complained to the police station that his bid documents allegedly was forcibly grabbed by one man aided by  another.

Police reports said Awichen and Miguel told Padon that they will be the ones to bring the bid documents to the secretariat.

Francisco Gatering, liaison officer of EGB Construction also complained that his bidding document was grabbed by a person  who told him that he will be the one to bring the bid documents to the secretariat.

Padalla told VAC spokesperson Juniper Dominguez who happened to be in the DPWH premises that his bid documents was taken to “a male person sitting at the end of the hallway” whom Dominguez identified to be contractor Rene del Amor.

Bids were supposed to be for construction of P31 million upgrading of Mt Province- Ilocos Sur via Kayan Road; P21.3 million rehabilitation of Mt Province – Ilocos Sur via Tue road and P14.9 million Mt Province- Ilocos Sur via Kayan road.

The June 1 bidding included other projects: a 19 million rehabilitation of Bontoc Cadre road; P10.8 million rehabilitation of Mt Province- Cagayan road; P2 million rehabilitation of Baguio –Bontoc road; P1.9 million gravelling of Mt Province- Ilocos Sur road via Kayan; P3.9 million maintenance along junction Talubin, Saliok section; P1 million junction Talubin Cassag section; and P1 million Talubin junction Tawang -Paracelis section.

Complainants said their bid documents did not reach the secretariat.

Due to said incident, complainant Padalla asked BAC chairman Charles Sokoken that the bidding be postponed.

Bidding however proceeded with BAC secretariat member Delia Ayan saying the secretariat did not receive documents of either PBO or EGB Construction to register their participation for the bidding.

Awarding of projects will not proceed until complaints are resolved, based on government procurement revised implementing rules and regulations of RA 9184, Ayan said.

Dominguez, in his letter to Secretary Singson said “in fairness to the bidding of the other projects, it should continue, but to continue opening the three deliberately allowed bids of the three projects has tainted the true essence of a matuwid na daan and kung walang corrupt walang mahirap call of President Benigno Aquino III”.

Town police officers Richard Soliven and Jessie Lopez were conducting follow-up investigation on the incidents as of press time.