‘Landfill bidding not over this year’

It will be impossible for the government to come up with the results of the bidding for a new sanitary landfill by the end of this year, an official of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority said.

The issue on garbage has been virtually forgotten with the political circus surrounding the President and the opposition calling for his resignation.

Eduardo Mejos, MMDA assistant manager for finance and concurrent Pre-qualifications Bids and Award Committee chairman, said that in all likelihood the results of the bidding will not be known this year.

With the strength of two courts ordering the suspension of the bidding, the PBAC is helpless in implementing the critical project.

However, it was revealed that one of the restraining orders, issued by the Pasig Regional Trial Court for the FLB Consortium, has already been lifted.

The Court of Appeals, on the other hand has a standing order suspending the bidding until such time that it has come up with a decision on the case.

One of the judges of the CA has yet to come up with her decision regarding the case filed by Jandom of Australia against the Greater Metro Manila Solid Waste Management Committee (GMMSWMC).

Mejos admitted that it is very unlikely for the results to come out at the end of this year because of the complication of the Jancom case.

He said the losing party in the case is expected to elevate the case to the Supreme Court which will take another significantly long period of time.

On the other hand, the GMMSWMC as represented by Flagship Programs and projects Secretary Robert Aventajado, has all but declared the winner of the bidding in spite of the obstacles standing in its way.

In past interviews, Aventajado mentioned the Pro-Environment Consortium as the winner of the bidding because of the apparent superiority of its proposal against its competitors. He admitted the problems involved in the bidding and added that he has come up with alternative measures to address the critical garbage situation at the end of this year.

Aventajado claimed that the government has two potential sanitary landfill sites that may be used temporarily when the San Mateo landfill closes down permanently by the end of this year.

He declined to identify the two sites and claimed only that they conform to environmentally sound standards.

The local government units for their part have also come up with their own proposals to address their respective garbage problems.

However, the proposals of the LGUs involve the use of open dumpsites which are considered unsanitary and potential environmental hazards.