MCIAA bids out P200 million building project

CEBU, Philippines - Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority has pushed through with the bidding of its P200 million operations building design and build project last Friday despite a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman.

MCIAA assistant general manager and chairman of the Bids and Awards Committee, Atty. Glenn Napuli, said the bidding was attended by Arnel R. Patatag of the Commission on Audit.

Last March 24, MCIAA conducted the bid opening of the project which was participated by New Kanlaon Construction, Inc.; R.U. Aquino Construction and Development Corp.; Verzontal Builders, Inc.; ARN Builders, Inc.; WERR Construction, and Granby Trading and Construction.

The bid opening was attended by Atty. Zenaida Biteng and Armi De la Cruz of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) Procurement Office.  Napuli said that during the bid opening, the BAC found that all bidders have defects in their bids. Except for WERR Construction, all bidders filed a request for reconsideration.

On March 31, 2017, the BAC sent a letter to the bidders and only the request for reconsideration of ARN Builders and Granby were granted. The continuation of bid opening was scheduled on April 7, 2017.

“We cannot yet divulge the detailed results of that continuation of bid opening as we still have to send an official communication to the concerned bidders,” Napuli said.

A day before the bid opening, self-proclaimed whistleblower and businessman Crisologo Saavedra reportedly sent an email to MCIAA’s BAC Secretariat stating that interested bidders has requested him to file the case before the Ombudsman for the cancellation of the bidding.

In a letter dated March 14, 2017, C.B. Garay Philwide Builders requested MCIAA BAC to postpone the bid opening for another four weeks but was denied.

On March 31, 2017, Saavedra filed a complaint against Napuli, Atty. Cyril Apao as vice chairman, and Gina Cane as regular member of MCIAA BAC for alleged defect in the bidding procedure.

Among the defects which Saavedra pointed out was the non-implementation of the study and investigation of the soil through preliminary investigation as required under RA 9184.

The respondents were surprised because Saavedra did not include in his complaint Engineers Achilles Ponce and Eduardo Ginete, who are members of the BAC and the ones who prepared the documents about the soil testing and the very persons who could answer his concerns.

At 6:17 AM of April 7, 2017, a person claiming to be named Engr. Achilles Genete sent an email to the MCIAA BAC Secretariat stating that they “will be filing administrative and criminal complaints should the BAC pursue to open the financial envelopes of two ineligible bidders - ARN and Grandby”.

At about 11 a.m. on the same day, Saavedra also reportedly called the BAC Secretariat delivering a message that the days of Napuli in MCIAA are numbered.

Napuli said the BAC cannot be bullied and Saavedra’s threats will only make them stronger.

“The BAC must be free from outside influences when conducting biddings.  Contractors should be encouraged to participate in MCIAA biddings to promote competition and not be scared that a certain Mr. Saavedra will drag their good name in cases,” declared Napuli.   —/FPL (FREEMAN)