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BHIP
denies bid rigging on
Talibon dam
By: KIT BAGAIPO
The
bidding for the second phase of the controversial Talibon
Small Reservoir Impounding Project (TSRIP) was in order which
strictly adhered to the procurement law.
Bohol
Irrigation Project (BHIP) manager Modesto Membreve answered
allegations made by MD Biliran Construction that the contract
was awarded to a "favored" bidder which submitted
the second lowest bid instead of the lowest winning bidder.
MD
Biliran Construction claimed they submitted the lowest bid,
about P1-million lesser than the second lowest bidder which
was awarded the contract.
Membreve
strikes back saying that MD Biliran Construction submitted
a "misleading bid" purporting to show a lower unit
price in one of the contract's detailed items.
However,
after checking for mathematical computations of all the bid
quotations, MD Biliran Construction came out with the highest
bid which was beyond the Approved Budget for the Contract
(ABC) of P14,653,993.03.
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MD
Biliran Construction's bid reached P34,045,575.03 after
a detailed evaluation of its bid, according to Membreve
who showed copies of bidding documents submitted by
said contractor.
In
its letter complaint to the Ombudsman Visayas, MD Biliran
Construction claimed that the discrepancy in their bid
price was due to a clerical error which stated a higher
"amount in words" compared with the "amount
in figures" the unit price of a piping project
component of the contract.
Under
the BHIP (and National Irrigation Authority) bidding
guidelines, in case of a discrepancy between the "amount
in words" and the "amount in figures",
the price in words will prevail, Membreve said.
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Hence,
computations must be checked and verified with the stated
amount in words, he added.
Moreover,
the bidding guidelines stated that "bidders should examine
carefully all conditions in the bid documents… No relief
shall be granted on plea of error in the bid."
"MD
Biliran Construction was disqualified by the Bids and Awards
Committee (BAC) since it submitted a bid much higher than
the ABC," Membreve said.
"The
BAC could be answerable even if the error was unintentional
on the part of MD Biliran Construction since NIA-BHIP will
eventually be paying for the contract," he added.
According
to Membreve, he is ready to answer an investigation by the
Ombudsman since he has all the documents to support that the
award of the contract was in order.
NO
CASE FILED
At
least five officials of the NIA have been implicated in a
case filed by former NIA project manager Petronilo Sarigumba
regarding the anomalous releases of some P165-million for
the Talibon Dam.
The
funds have been exhausted in 2000 yet upon inspection at the
project site, the civil works could not justify the amount
spent.
The
Ombudsman found prima facie evidence against the 5 NIA officials
on May 2006. However, until now graft charges has yet to be
filed by the Ombudsman at the Sandiganbayan.
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