2 Cabinet officials defend AFP on combat boots deal

Two Malacañang lady Cabinet officials took up the cudgels yesterday for the embattled Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) over a complaint by a losing bidder of alleged irregularities in the bidding of a P102.1-million contract for Army combat boots.

Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Emilia Boncodin and Presidential Adviser on the Implementation of Feliciano Commission Recommendations Carolina Hernandez called a press conference yesterday to refute allegations of irregularities in the award of the contract for the supply of combat boots to the Philippine Army.

Boncodin and Hernandez echoed yesterday their concern that the questioned combat boots deal might be used by "elements outside the AFP" to instigate moves like the Oakwood mutiny in July last year, when junior officers took up arms against their superiors on the issue of inferior combat boots being issued to their men in the field, among other grudges.

The renewed rumors of an impending coup d’ etat were stirred by the continuing delay in the congressional canvass and proclamation of the winners in the presidential and vice presidential elections.

Boncodin, however, said she would like to believe that these allegations of supposed rigged bids have nothing to do with the current political conflict over the May 10 presidential elections, citing that the DBM has gotten used to such complaints from "losing" bidders.

"I suppose whether you have this situation or not, there would always be complaints except that it aggravates the situation. That’s why we are making this clarification to ensure that this thing could be explained very well to the public that we do not cook up anything nasty here," Boncodin said.

Hernandez concurred with the views aired by the DBM Secretary.

"My own personal political take on this is that there seems to be some sort of testing if the AFP would take the bait because this combat boots issue is an emotional issue for the AFP," Hernandez said.

The allegations of rigged bidding stemmed from the complaint of Peter Go Cheng, sales manager of Jodaar Cottage Industries, one of three bidders for the supply contract.

Cheng denounced the award of the combat boots to Filboots, which he said quoted the highest price per pair of the military shoes at P1,047 as against Jodaar’s bid of only P999.50 per pair. The other bidder, Bigson, quoted P1,038 per pair.

Acting on these allegations, President Arroyo ordered Hernandez and Defense Undersecretary Connie de Guzman to look into the matter.

In the press conference held yesterday at the DBM office in Malacañang, the two Palace lady officials swore that the questioned combat boots deal was above board as it passed through the Congress-approved procurement process.