North Baluarte fire victims to keep an eye on bidding of P.5M worth materials
Fire victims from North Baluarte, Molo vowed to keep an eye on how the city government will conduct a public bidding on the procurement of P500,000 worth of materials for fire victims.
The money came from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's Presidential Social Fund.
One fire victim, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they have received information that certain City Hall individuals are trying to push for their favored suppliers to win in the bidding for them to get hefty commissions.
Section 362 of the Local Government Code states that a call for bid is needed when procurement is to be made by local government units, the provincial or city general services officer or the municipal or barangay treasurer shall call bids for open competition.
The call for bids shall show the complete specifications and technical description of the required supplies shall embody all terms and conditions of participation and award, terms of delivery and payment, and all other covenants affecting the transactions. In all calls for bids, the right to waive any defect in the tender as well as the right to accept the bid most advantageous to the government shall be reserved. In no case, however, shall failure to meet the specifications or technical requirements of the supplies desired be waived.
Another fire victim said they will see to it the bidding process is properly observed by the members of the Pre-Bids and Awards Committee (PBAC).
The same source said they would not want that previous incidents, like the procurement of trash bins where no proper bidding was done, to happen as what is at stake is their dwelling.
According to Section 363 of the LGC (Publication of Bids), the call for bids shall be given the widest publicity possible, sending mail by mail or otherwise, any known prospective participant in the locality of copies of the call and by posting copies of the same in at least three public accessible and conspicuous places in the provincial capitol or city, municipal, or barangay hall as the case may be.
The notice of bidding may likewise be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the territorial jurisdiction of the local government unit concerned when the provincial or city general services officers or the municipal or barangay treasurer as the case may be deems it necessary in order to obtain the lowest responsible and complying bid.
The opening of bids shall only be made in the presence of the provincial or city auditor or his duly authorized representative who shall initial and secure bids and certify the abstract of the bidding.
The awards in the procurement of supplies shall be given to the lowest complying and responsible bid which meets all the terms and conditions of the contract or undertaking.
Mayor Jerry Trenas in an interview assured the bidding will be "above board" as he asked for the understanding of the recipients.
The bidding is scheduled this week.