DPWH exec denies discrimination in bidding of projects

BAGUIO CITY – A ranking official of the Bids and Awards Committee of the Department of Public Works and Highways in the Cordillera denied alleged discrimination against contractors from the region in the bidding of public works projects, saying such intrigue is designed to discredit officials and create a gap between lowlanders and highlanders to advance their own political and personal interests.

Daniel G. Domingo, DPWH assistant regional director and concurrent BAC chairman, said the anti-cordilleran slur being circulated by some self-reclaimed anti-corruption advocates which reportedly originated from him is fabricated, baseless and unfounded and is aimed to attack his person.

“I am a Bulakenyo and I am very proud of being one. I cannot change it and can do nothing about it. Being a human being, I also deserve to be respected as I do respect everyone including his critics. My roots are from the North and it is possible that they also have even a single drop of cordilleran blood. But even if they do not, I cannot insult or demean anybody especially the Cordillerans because this is the place I learned to like and to love, especially its warm people. As a matter of fact, I am transferring my place of residency from Bulacan to Baguio so that I can be a Cordilleran by operation of law,” Domingo, an engineer stressed.

Earlier, several open letters signed by non-competing contractors have been circulating in the region criticizing the BAC official for alleged unreasonably postponing scheduled bidding of projects and reportedly issuing insulting remarks against cordillera contractors.

However, Domingo said the primary intention of the letters is to besmirch his name and out rightly remove him from office which is not the works of righteous people like those who are claiming to be anti-corruption advocates but have very bade records as either contractors or sub-contractors.

According to him, the BAC is composed of the chairman, co-chairman, several members, the secretariat, the technical working group and numerous non-government organizations, including the Commission on Audit, acting as a collegial body, thus, no single person could prevail upon their decision in their actions on the ward of projects.

Contrary to the fabricated and false reports, the DPWH official said he never informed anyone of the re-scheduling or postponement of the opening of bids, thus, such reports are untrue and misleading.

Domingo added he never favored any contractor in any way in the bidding and awarding of projects as the power to bid and award projects does not lie solely on him but on the majority of the BAC members. Republic Act 9184 states projects may be awarded to contractors whose bid does not exceed the approved budget cost. The BAD is mandated to award the project to the contractor even if his bid equals the approved budget cost because that is the law.

Domingo called on the Cordillerans not to be alarmed over such misinformation because it is simply aimed at sowing intrigue just to create an issue to oust them from office. -- Dexter A. See