Another bidder in stalled NEA project cries foul

Don’t count us out.

Another bidder in the stalled P900-million rural electrification project of the government is crying "foul," saying the National Electrification Administration (NEA) had counted it out in the "negotiated bidding."

Ed Garcia, country manager of the Australia-based Koppers Timber Preservation, which reportedly submitted the second lowest bid, said "we were shocked to learn that the NEA wanted to give the contract to the highest bidder."

Reacting to a special report by The STAR on the controversy, Garcia said: "It is ridiculous for the new NEA board to even think of giving the contract to the highest bidder which betrays the intention and spirit of the original bidding."

He claimed the NEA board appeared to have decided to award the contract for the supply of wood poles and cross arms needed for the rural power project to Tri-State Pole and Piling and its local partner, Synergy Pacific Inc., which allegedly submitted the highest bid.

Garcia took exception to the NEA’s allegation that it withdrew from the bidding.

Garcia also charged that apparent attempts of the pre-qualification bids and awards committee headed by Leonardo Olano to manipulate results of the bidding held on Feb. 14 last year unduly delayed award of the contract and subsequently, implementation of the project.

"In the event that Nerwin (Industries Corp.) is ultimately disqualified, Koppers, having submitted the second lowest bid, should be declared the winner, not Tri-State," Garcia stressed.

A source, who asked not to be identified, revealed that Tri-State, in an effort to justify its bid, sought a favorable opinion from the University of the Philippines’ Forest Products Research, but the institution declined, saying it does not want to have anything to do with a farcical scheme.

Nerwin, which was initially declared the winner in the bidding for having submitted the lowest complying bid in all four schedules of the project, has sued NEA officials including Energy Secretary Vincent Perez before the Office of the Ombudsman.

Perez welcomed the impending Ombudsman probe, saying it will help "bring out the truth in the issue which has already confused a lot of people."

NEA spokesman Jocot de Dios also said the probe will give the agency "an impartial venue" where it can explain why Nerwin was disqualified.

Nerwin insisted that the government stands to lose P151.4 million representing the difference between its bid and that of its closest rival, if the contract is granted to another bidder.

Meanwhile, Nerwin has secured a temporary restraining order from the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) preventing the award of the IPB-80 contract to Tri-State.

NEA lawyers reportedly walked out of last week’s hearing of Nerwin’s motion for the issuance of a permanent injunction in protest of the TRO.