Lawmakers warn against lack of bidding for P8-T projects

Congressmen on Friday expressed concern over the alleged plan of Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade not to subject to public bidding P8 trillion worth of infrastructure projects to be undertaken under the proposed emergency powers for traffic.

Rep. Tom Villarin of party-list group Akbayan said allowing Tugade to disregard the public bidding requirement under the Procurement Law might lead to massive irregularities.

“Emergency powers are not justified as these will lead to greed and abuse. While there is great potential in having these infrastructure projects, mechanisms of transparency and accountability must be put in place,” he said.

Villarin said such transparency mechanisms should include the bidding process.

He pointed out that such mechanisms are needed “especially when some of the government’s Chinese partners (in planned infrastructure projects) have been tagged by Transparency International as among the companies that “symbolize grand corruption.”

He also chided Tugade for announcing in a Malacañang news conference on Thursday that the administration would go on a “build, build, build” binge and that the term of President Duterte would be a “golden age” for infrastructure.

“Don’t count your chickens before they hatch,” he said.

Several other officials were with Tugade in the news conference. According to reports, they wanted to be given emergency powers to undertake projects without public bidding but by selective bidding, direct contracting or negotiated contract.

This means that the law containing such special authority would suspend the bidding requirements under the Procurement Law.

The officials also wanted the projects to be shielded from temporary restraining orders by courts, except those issued by the Supreme Court.

Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo said emergency powers should not do away with public bidding.

“It is important for Congress to examine in detail how these powers are to be exercised, what are their scope and limitations and what measures will be adopted to ensure that the projects are transparent and will really address the problem within the time-frame needed,” he said.

He said the planned law containing the special authority should also ensure “that the funds are used properly and government and the public are not placed at a disadvantage by private-sector participants.”

Catanduanes Rep. Cesar Sarmiento, who chairs the House committee on transportation, said he could not understand what kind of procurement process Tugade wants to follow.

“The present law allows procurement to be completed within 28 days. It even allows negotiated procurement, which is a shorter process,” he said.

He said a 28-day period is a reasonable timeframe.

He asked Tugade to submit a detailed list of what projects he wants to subject to no-bidding, selective bidding, direct contracting or negotiation.

Sarmiento has expressed disappointment over the transportation secretary’s reluctance to take advantage of “lowlying fruits” like the 28- day procurement process under the law and clearing major roads in Metro Manila of obstructions such as illegally parked vehicles.

These do not require emergency powers, he said.

For his part, Rep. Gary Alejano of party-list group Magdalo said implementation of the projects in Metro Manila should be carefully planned to avoid aggravating the traffic situation in the metropolis.

“We must remember that constructions in the National Capital Region should be planned and phased because even assuming you have the money, you cannot do the projects all at the same time in just so short a time. It will paralyze the whole capital,” he said.

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez has expressed dismay over Tugade’s failure to improve the traffic situation in Metro Manila, contrary to what he had promised to do in the first 100 days of the administration.