BAGUIO CITY– A former chairperson of a Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) aired his views and sentiments on the proper conduct of public bidding as prescribed under the provisions of Republic Act (RA) 9184 or the Government Procurement Act to avoid unnecessary criticisms from the public on the alleged proliferation of rigged bidding in some government agencies and local governments.
The former BAC chair, who is now in government service as a local official, claimed the mere fact that the law requires the conduct of public and transparent bidding, the same should be open to individuals and groups who are interested to personally witness the processes to be done pursuant to prescribed bidding rules and regulations.
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He pointed out the mere deprivation of interested individuals and representatives of groups to witness the conduct of public bidding is already a violation of the rules providing for the bidding should be done in public and that the issue on accreditation is a distinct and separate one.
Further, the former BAC chair asserted the refusal to have an open transparent bidding process by locking of the door of the bidding room already casts doubts on the regularity of the process arousing suspicions of some things being hidden from the public to suit the interests of the BAC officials and even the DPWH-CAR officers.
He was referring to the incident at the Cordillera office of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH-CAR) last November 7, 2019 where the bidding room was locked that prevented interested individuals and media representatives from witnessing the process.
On the supposed accreditation of individuals and groups allowed to witness the bidding process, he explained the same should be likened to a marriage ceremony where the godparents are the authorized witnesses but the public should not be in any way be deprived of witnessing the said ceremony.
According to him, the accredited representatives of groups could sit as witnesses to the conduct of the bidding processes, but the anybody interested to witness the same should not be denied access to the bidding room and that the issue on the bidding room being too narrow is actually a non-issue because those interested to witness the process could remedy the situation.
He claimed the incident at the DPWH-CAR where some individuals and media personalities were deprived of witnessing the bidding last November 7, 2019 is already in clear violation of exiting rules and regulations and it will now be up to the aggrieved parties to take action as their right to information on the bidding process was denied aside from other rights that they intend to invoke.
In other government agencies and local governments, according to him, the public is welcome to witness the process of the bidding of goods and services, as well as infrastructure projects, that is why when the issue on some people being deprived of their right to witness the bidding process in the DPWH-CAR was aired, it really caught him by surprise because it was never done during his term as BAC chairperson wherein every citizen was welcome to witness the processes provided that they observe the proper decorum to avoid disrupting the said process.
By HENT