Two security agencies pass bidding; to undergo last step

CEBU, Philippines - Security providers Tactical Security Agency and GDS Security and Detective Agency will undergo post-qualification evaluation today and tomorrow after having been qualified once again in the bidding yesterday.

Tactical Security posted a bid offer of P20 million, P1 million short from the Capitol’s P21.1 million approved budget for the one-year contract. Should the agency pass the post-qualification process, it will serve as the security provider for Capitol’s facilities in Area I, which covers those in northern Cebu and in Cebu City.

On the other hand, GDS Security’s bid offer was P16.9 million, having a slight difference from the Capitol’s approved P17.3-million budget for the contract in Area II, which covers the province’s facilities in southern Cebu as well as in Cebu City.

To recall, both GDS and Tactical presented identical bid offers with the controversial Blackpearl Security during the first bidding after Tactical’s contract with Capitol ended last May.

However, Blackpearl, which broke the deadlock, was disqualified following several infractions that some of its guards reportedly committed during its temporary service at the Capitol’s facilities.

Instead of having GDS and Tactical undergo the post-qualification, Cebu Governor Hilario Davide declared failure of bidding and ordered the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) to consider re-bidding.

During the re-bidding yesterday, which was opened to the public and media, five bidders participated — Tactical Security, Golden Sun Investigation and Security Agency, and Davao Cavaliers Security for Area I; and GDS Security and Café Security Agency for Area II.

BAC, however, did not entertain Golden Sun’s participation after it submitted its bid documents late.

Davao Cavaliers and Café Security were also disqualified for lack of technical and legal documents, BAC chairman Mark Tolentino said.

Nevertheless, the committee will still entertain the move of Davao Cavalier representatives to file a motion for reconsideration.

“They are required to submit their MR within three days. But in the meantime, we should proceed with the post-qualification because we cannot presume that they will really submit in time,” Tolentino told reporters.

Last July 11, the participating security agencies convened with BAC for a pre-bid conference where they were briefed on the scope of the project and on the revisions of the terms of reference, which include the shortened period of contract from two years to one year only. — (FREEMAN)