PPSC purchased P124-M supplies without bid in 2013

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Public Safety College (PPSC), under the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), acquired more than P124.534 million worth of military and police supplies last year without public bidding, a report released yesterday by the Commission on Audit (COA) showed.

Government auditors frowned at how the training school for personnel of the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology purchased such items, including bullets, without following procurement rules.

The acquisition of military and police supplies totaling P124,534,830 was not included in the Annual Procurement Plan (APP) of PPSC for 2013, the COA report said.

It said PPSC violated the provisions of Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act and the General Appropriations Act.

Records show that the purchase was intended for the use of different regional training schools and constitutive units of the PPSC.

“The items were procured through shopping instead of public bidding, contrary to Section 10 Rule IV of RA 9184, which provides that all procurement shall be done through competitive bidding, except as provided in Rule XVI of IRR (implementing rules and regulations), which provides for the alternative methods of procurement,” the report said.

“No government procurement shall be undertaken unless it is in accordance with the approved APP and must be consistent with its duly approved yearly budget. The APP shall be formulated and revised only in accordance with the guidelines set forth in the IRR,” it added.

For its part, the school management told state auditors the PPSC had to act with urgency to accommodate police recruits sent by the PNP for mandatory training.

Due to lack of preparation and storage facility for the supplies and ammunition, PPSC officials said they resorted to procurement of quartermaster supplies and materials through shopping.