For Palarong Pambansa purchases: Ordinance refiled to live-stream bidding

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Councilor Rey Gealon has refiled the ordinance to live-stream the bidding of the Palarong Pambansa procurement orders after it was approved by council but vetoed by Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama before he was suspended.

In a statement issued to the media yesterday, May 29, 2024, Gealon announced that he has refiled his live-streaming ordinance to conduct transparency amidst the questions hounding the Palarong Pambansa 2024 procurement orders.

According to Gealon, he formally refiled this ordinance last Friday, which underwent first reading before the legislators yesterday, May 29, 2024.

Gealon said that among its motivations to refile the ordinance is to put emphasis on the interest of transparency and accountability.

“Along with my peers in the Sanggunian, I deem it best that this will be adopted as institutional policy of the city,” he said.

Gealon, who chairs the Committee on Laws in the city council also expressed his confidence in the refiled ordinance that could accordingly “hurdle the tedious process of approval.”

“I am willing to go the extra mile in plenary to get this approved,” said Gealon.

Further pressing its vitality, Gealon said that the ordinance can be a fitting avenue to render “justice and fairness” to the government officials and all the parties involved over the allegations and questions hounding the procurements for the Palarong Pambansa.

Rama vetoed the said the ordinance authored by Gealon over the argument that it violates the Data Privacy Act of 2012; and superseded the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Government Procurement Reform Act; as well as compromises the general welfare clause provided under the Local Government Code. —/ATO (FREEMAN)