DOTC urged to reconsider P3.8-B project for agency
THE joint venture that won the bidding for the new computer system of the Land Transportation Office, has called on the Department of Transportation and Communications, to reconsider the rejection of its bid for allegedly failing the “post qualification” stage as claimed by the chairman of the Communications department’s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC).
In a statement, Digitext Asia said that they have already submitted a letter of reconsideration to Communications Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya and to the members of the committee, through its chairman, Communications Undersecretary Jose Perpetuo Lotilla, on February 11.
Digitext added that a separate copy has also been sent to President Benigno Aquino 3rd.
“The grounds cited by Undersecretary Lotilla for our disqualification are not supported by the records nor are they grounded on the law,” the company said.
“It is unfortunate that the chair of the BAC made highly irresponsible and sweeping statements that damaged our business reputation and likewise put a dark cloud on our capability, financially and technically, to handle the project.
“We are confident that after another review, the BAC would find everything in order as we have fully complied with all the requirements of the bidding,” the company said.
“We shall also make use of all remedies available to us under the circumstances to repair the damage of Undersecretary Lotilla’s unfounded conclusion,” it added.
Digitext, in partnership with Trimax IT Infrastructure of India and Newtech Media Solutions and Trading based in Manila, won the bidding for the P8.2billion Transportation office’s computerization project, after it submitted the lowest bid of P3.8 billion during the open bidding held at the Communications office on November 26, 2012.
The project aims to overhaul and rehabilitate the Transportation agency’s decades-old computerized system that is used mainly in the securing of a driver’s license and motor vehicle registrations.
It is being previously managed by Stradcom Corp.
As a result of Digitext’s alleged failure in the post-bidding stage, the department said that it has “no choice” but to extend by another eight months the contract with Stradcom.
The Transportation office’s contract with Stradcom should have lapsed last February 10.
Lotilla, in his announcement on February 8, averred the Awards committee decided to disqualify Digitext and partners during the post-bidding stage for failure to submit a valid mayor’s permit for 2012 and the absence of the “bill of quantity” in the tender the JV submitted.
But in their letter to the Communications department signed by Marjorie Tiffany Araneta, the JV said that Lotilla merely adopted the observation of the committee’s Technical Working Group, that they don’t have a valid business permit from Manila because of the “colatilla” in the permit that it would be “null and void” without the presentation of a barangay clearance to the Business Permit Office within seven days of its issuance.
Digitext maintained that it has fully complied with this requirement, through its partner, Newtech, which has its business address in Manila.
Newtech submitted that the barangay clearance to the Business Permit office on January 18, two days after the release of its business permit.
Besides this erroneous conclusion, Araneta also noted that Lotilla’s statement runs contrary to an earlier ruling by the Supreme Court on the issue.
The joint venture reminded Lotilla that even the Technical Support office of the government’s procurement policy board “awarded a contract to a company with a business permit issued by the city of Manila in December 2012 that has a similar colatilla with that of Newtech’s business permit, as shown in its website.”