CCMC has new bids committee

 CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama has created a new Bids and Awards Committee to oversee the bidding for the new Cebu City Medical Center.

In his executive order, the mayor appointed his chief of staff Dominic Diño, City Planning and Development Office chief Kenneth Carmelita Enriquez, budget officer Marietta Gumia, city administrator Lucelle Mercado, Department of Engineering and Public Works planning division chief Engineer Joel Reston, city attorney Jerone Castillo and its secretariat Ferdinand Cañete.

The members already convened and elected Castillo as BAC chairman, replacing City Engineer Jose Marie Poblete. Reston, the former BAC-technical working group, was also elected as vice chairman.

Under the law, the BAC shall be composed of one representative each from the regular offices under the Office of the Local Chief Executive such as but not limited to the following: Office of the City Administrator, Budget Office, Legal Office, Engineering Office and General Services Office.

But, this led to the termination of BAC-Infrastructure chairman Poblete and his regular member Daisy Villa and representative of the “end user” or requisitioner Councilor Mary Ann Delos Santos, chairwoman of the CCMC ad hoc committee.

There were insinuations that Poblete and Delos Santos were sacked after they voted for the disqualification of Cebu’s WTG Construction and Development Corp. and Manila’s E.M. Ureta October last year.

BAC member  Ferdinand Cañete, who also voted for the disqualification, was not removed but rather was appointed as BAC Secretariat. As secretariat, he can no longer vote.

Cañete only serves as the main support unit of the BAC and assists in the conduct of its functions as stipulated in Section 14 of Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act.

Villa was absent during the meeting.

In a 3-2 vote the joint venture of a Cebu-based company and Manila-based company who won the bid for placing P274,975,904 was post-disqualified for allegedly being “non-responsive” after BAC members found out that the documents submitted contained “discrepancies and false information.”

Rama earlier said he wants to review and revise the composition of the BAC, including its terms and conditions and specifications of the bidding documents to “ensure proper compliance” with the provisions of RA 9184 and other legislations.

Poblete and Delos Santos said they respect the move of the mayor saying it was his prerogative to reform the BAC.

“Prerogative na sa mayor and we can’t question that. Ilis-ilis ra man na and di man gyod na permanent ang members. Depende na sa mayor kinsa iyang ibutang. Maayo man sad gud na nga i-rotate,” Poblete said.

Section 11 Article 5 of RA 9184 provides that the Local Chief Executive shall designate the members of the BAC.

The same law also provides that “Unless sooner removed for a cause, the members of the BAC shall have a fixed term of one year reckoned from the date of appointment, renewable at the discretion of the Head of the Procuring Entity.”

Poblete, Delos Santos and others could still be a member of BAC if they are going to be a requisitioner of a project as provided for under the Local Government Code.

The provision provides that “the end user office shall always be represented in the BAC.”

The BAC is responsible for the determination of eligibility, conduct of bidding, evaluation of bids, post qualification of the lowest calculated bid and recommending award of contracts.  On Tuesday, Poblete is set to turn over BAC projects to Castillo. The BAC members are expected to discuss the rebidding of the CCMC project.

The project has a seed money of P300 million for the construction. This would be augmented with this year’s P300 million budget appropriation for CCMC, P23 million financial assistance from the Department of Health and P5 million from Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation, the P17.2 million proceeds from the “Piso Mo Hospital Ko” fund drive and other pledges from private sectors. — /BRP (FREEMAN)