Garcia assures CH still guarded

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City acting mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia yesterday assured the public that security measures are still in place around the buildings and facilities of City Hall.

This was after the "pre-termination" of the contract of the existing security agency, which led to a commotion outside City Hall Tuesday night.

On a live video of The FREEMAN, GDS Security Agency owner Marjorie Anne Sun-Ng, questioned the decision of the city government, saying that they weren't given a 30-day notice prior to the said termination.

She went to City Hall at around 11 p.m. last Tuesday, Oct. 31, after receiving a letter that their contract as a private security agency for Cebu City Hall, which she said was supposedly until August 2025, would end that same day.

"Kung wala pa ko nangusog ganinang buntag nangutana ko kung unsay mahitabo karon, wa gyuy taga City Hall nga ni-reach out nako unsay buhaton. Tibuok adlaw gatuyok-tuyok ko," she said in a conversation with Chuck Cañete, City Hall Civil Security Unit head.

Sun-Ng alleged security guards of other security agencies are just right at a corner and waiting for the turnover at midnight of Wednesday, Nov. 1.

"Kinsay mo-turnover? Kay ingon ka nako para nimo way mo-turnover. But I know for a fact nga didto sa kilid naa ang pikas agency," Sun-Ng told Cañete.

In an interview with the media yesterday, Garcia said he had already settled the concern with GDS and instructed CSU to take over, as is the protocol.

Garcia is acting mayor since Mayor Michael Rama is away on an overseas family vacation for a month.

"Akong instruction-nan nga if dili gani kaya sa atong CSU nga mo-take over sa tanang 214 guards then we will extend the contract of the GDS," he said, in a phone interview.

"Basta dili gyud mabiyaan ang ilang mga poste kay mabiyaan gani ang mga poste kuyaw na kaayo ang atong mga important nga properties," he added.

On Sun-Ng's claim that the city did not want to extend her contract for “political reasons.” Garcia declined to comment.

Sun-Ng said the city government should have thought about the welfare of the 214 security guards of her agency before making the decision.

"Matod ni mayor, gipangga man kaha niyang mga pobre? Kanang mga gwardiya usa na sa mga pinakapobre nga tawo, Hand-to-mouth gud na," she said.

"Kung kanang mga gwardiya maundang na sila'g trabaho karon, wala na silay pagkaon," she added.

GDS Security Agency was awarded with a three-year contract to provide security guards to City Hall from Sept. 1, 2022 to Aug. 31, 2025 and it is renewable every year.

Sun-Ng said that they received a letter September 1 this year informing GDS that the contract would not be renewed.

The city government, however, extended the contract last Sept. 11 for 15 days, pending the bidding for a new security service provider that would take over from GDS.

"Mao na akong gisulti...nga political man gud ni. Ana ba, Lisod lang kaayo. Kay ngano man diay og mo-extend lang ta og usa ka buwan nya tarungon nato ang proseso" she said in an interview.

Sun-Ng said it would have made a difference if the government had given them time or notice to iron things out.

She also alleged that the Technical Working Group (TWG) of the city's Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) TWG is yet to conclude its post-qualification evaluation, but the winning security agency already took over.

She further alleged that the winning bidder did not yet have any notice of award, contract, performance bond, and notice to proceed, yet the City "gave undue advantage to the bidder" by having it already take over from GDS.

During the interview yesterday, Garcia said he spoke with Henry Tumalabcab of the BAC Secretariat and was told that the City has already selected a winning security service bidder, only that BAC have not concluded yet its post-qualification evaluation.

"Kay ang in charge sa Technical Working Group (TWG) is on leave so mao na nga wa mahuman ang post-qualification," Garcia said.

Because of what happened, Sun-Ng said she already started legal actions in court to address the matter.

"Akong rights giyatak-yatakan, So, mao ng paminaw nako. Naa sad koy rights nga makahibawo og unsay nahitabo," she said. Iris Hazel Mascardo with Romeo Marantal, RHM (FREEMAN)