Diokno twits contractor over complaint on P2.8B Asean deal

BUDGET Secretary Benjamin Diokno denied Tuesday the alleged bid-rigging of the P2.8-billion events management contract for the hosting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summits in the country this year.

Diokno criticized the Events Organizer Network Inc. (EON), a company that participated in the initial procurement process, for accusing the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) of imposing “unlawful, unreasonable and restrictive requirements” that barred competition.

“Ignore that EON complaint,” Diokno said in a press briefing. “EON did not even submit a bid so I’m surprised that he’s now complaining and he cannot really comply, because the kind of services that he is providing is very limited.”

The sole bidder and apparent winner of the P2.8-billion Asean hosting deal is Stagecraft International, which offered P1 billion during the bidding held Dec. 1.

Diokno said there was no failure in the bidding process since Stagecraft was qualified. “Now, only one submitted a bid; this is the same bidder who won the right to provide the service in the 2015 Apec (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation). The total budget for that service that was bid out was P2.9 billion. You know how much the winning bidder bid? P1 billion. Don’t we like that?” he added.

The hosting of the Asean conferences was bid out by the DBM-Procurement Service (DBM-PS), with an approved budget for the contract of P2.86 billion.

Last Dec. 12, the Office of the Executive Director of the DBM-PS disputed EON’s allegation that the Bids of Awards and Committee violated the procurement law; severely restricted any competition for the contract; and gave unwarranted benefit to a bidder. (Sunnex)