Cebu PB Asks BAC to Explain Award of PHP250.6-M Equipment Buy to ‘Highest Didder’

The Cebu Provincial Board (PB) has asked the bids and awards committee (BAC) to explain the award of the contract for the purchase of some PHP250.6 million worth of heavy equipment to a contractor that appeared to be the highest bidder.

Cebu PB Member Grecilda Sanchez said the board has invited the BAC to their session next week to explain the award of the contract.

Sanchez, who chairs the budget and finance committee, said the PB has received a complaint from one of the other bidders.

The provincial government wants to acquire 15 units of heavy equipment for its road construction and maintenance projects.

The purchase for boom trucks, a tractor, hydraulic excavator, payloader and forklift had an approved budget of PHP252.68 million.

The BAC’s Resolution 217 identified four companies that submitted their bids for the contract as Conequip Phils. Inc., Civic Merchandising, RDAK Transport Equipment and TKC Heavy Industries.

TKC Heavy Industries failed to qualify in early September because it had no “end-user’s acceptance” and its motion for reconsideration was denied.

Conequip Phils. Inc. also failed to qualify because its omnibus statement was not signed, but it filed a motion for reconsideration which the BAC opened last Sept. 30, 2015, about three weeks after the bids were first opened.

Of the three bidders that remained, Conequip submitted the highest bid at PHP250.6 million, compared to PHP235.05 million for RDAK and PHP237.17 million for Civic Merchandising.

Lawyer Mark Tolentino, who chairs the BAC, said some of the heavy and light equipment the other bidders were offering did not meet the provincial government’s specifications.

He said the BAC declared ConEquip as “the bidder with the lowest calculated and responsive bids (LCRBs) for the supply of equipment” and awarded the contract to the company. (PNA) LAP/EB/EDS