Bidding for new NFA building ‘irregular’

IBY NEIL A. ALCOBER

REGULARITIES have surfaced in the public bidding for the contract to build the new National Food Authority (NFA) central office in Quezon City. The project was awarded to Legazpi Premium Development Corp. despite the firm’s failure to disclose an abandoned project on its list of ongoing projects, which, a The Manila Times source said, was a violation of the procurement law.

The bidding for the contract for the new NFA building, which had an approved budget of P475.7 million, was held on November 29, 2017 with seven qualified bidders passing eligibility requirements, documents obtained by

The Manila Times showed.

A “concerned bidder” wrote to Development Bank of the Philippines Chairman Alberto Romulo on January 29 claiming the project was awarded to Legazpi Premium despite the fact that the company had abandoned a construction project at the National Defense College of the Philippines at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

“This matter was already brought to the attention of NFA Administrator [Jason Aquino] but [it] fell [on] deaf ears,” the source said in the letter.

Romulo referred the letter to Aquino on February 2 “for appropriate action.”

The “concerned bidder” asked Romulo, a member of policymaking NFA Council, to stop the contract signing and the issuance of the Notice to Proceed to Legazpi Premium, saying the bidding should be conducted fairly.

On January 20, “concerned bidders” raised the matter to Aquino, saying “material omission” was a violation of bidding procedures under Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Law.

“We have this apprehension - ployees in your shop might be in collusion with [ Legazpi Premium] for a favorable consideration by law,” the “concerned bidders said in a letter.”

‘Negative slippages’

A group calling itself the “Con - no’s attention on January 3. Aquino is a retired military lieutenant colonel.

The group said Legazpi Premium had a project with the Defense department, consisting of two distinct buildings – a library and a dormitory for the defense college.

The project, which had a budget of P86.3 million, was awarded to a joint venture between Legazpi Premium and EXAATO Builders Inc.

The project began on June 28, 2017 and is supposed to be completed on March 28.

“However, with the few remaining number of days left prior to its completion date, it is only the library which is in its structural phase and the one has yet to be started. Hence, substantial amount of negative slippages is being incurred by Legazpi Premium as of this date,” the group said.

“We are deeply concerned that … the same fate and situation may occur in your agency,” the group added.

Calamity funds misuse

The NFA contractor is already embroiled in a corruption controversy that has already reached the courts.

was among those indicted by the - cember, over alleged anomalies in 11 infrastructure projects in Negros Oriental that used P143.3 million in calamity funds in 2012.

Legazpi Premium’s Maribel Ranola was charged along with other private contractors and the provincial governor, Roel Degamo.