Bagong bidding

NANANAWAGAN ang anti-advocacy group kay DOTC Sec. Jose Emilio Abaya na magpatawag ng panibagong bidding sa $3.2 million Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) Information Technology System contract para sa Terminal 1 at Terminal 2. Ang kontrata ay napunta sa isang US firm na na-debarred kamakailan ng World Bank at niri-renew na lang sa monthly basis. “DOTC Secretary Abaya should immediately order MIAA to conduct a new bidding for the T1 and T2 IT system as per government procurement law instead of renewing and extending the Arinc contract on a monthly basis which he inherited from his predecessor, Secretary Mar Roxas,” ayon kay former National Treasurer and KAAKBAY Partylist Chair Leonor Magtolis-Briones. Iginiit ni Briones na ang World Bank kamakailan ay initsa-puwera ang 80 katao at kumpanya ayon sa anti-fraud and corruption policy nito. At kasama sa listahan ang ARINC Inc., na isang U.S. registered engineering and system interration company, sa loob ng 33 buwan “following the company’s acknowledgment of a violation of the Bank’s Procurement Guidelines in the Bank-financed Airports Development project in Egypt.”

“With the World Bank’s disqualification on Arinc companies worldwide, DOTC and MIAA should automatically conduct an immediate rebidding and to disqualify outright the debarred U.S. firm in line with President Benigno S. Aquino’s “daang matuwid” policy,” ayon pa kay Briones.

Iginit naman ni KAAKBAY Partylist President Alain Pascua na sa ilalim ng DOTC’s Section 2 of Unsatisfactory Performance under its Manual of Bidding Procedures barring any firm due to: “inclusion in a blacklist issued by any governmental agency of the Philippines or in the Debarred and Cross-Debarred Firms and Individuals listed posted in the World Bank website (www.worldbank.org/debarr), whether as an individual contractor, partnership, corporation, or any other juridical entity, or as member of a joint venture or consortium or involvement in any corrupt, fraudulent, coercive, undesirable or restrictive practice or having conflicts of interest.”

“It’s about time Secretary Abaya correct two existing major violations at MIAA, one that of coddling a World Bank debarred firm and, second, continuing an expired contract without the process of public bidding. Both make a mock of President Aquino’s anti-corruption, transparency and public accountability policies,” dagdag pa ni Pascua.

Kung sabagay, wala namang masama sa panawagan nina Briones at Pascua dahil para naman ito sa kapakanan ng bansa, di ba mga suki? At sa tingin ko naman me sapat na basehan ang World Bank para magdesisyon ang opisya­les nito na i-itsa puwera ang ARINC Inc. Kaya ano pa ang hinihintay ni Abaya? Kilos na. Magpa-bidding kang muli para sa naturang proyekto at hindi madungisan ang “Daang Matuwid” na programa ni President Aquino. Abangan!