Poll chief: Luxurious, yes, but not overpriced
The furnishings in the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) summer cottages in Baguio City may be luxurious but they’re not overpriced, Comelec Chair Sixto Brillantes Jr. said in response to Sen. Alan Cayetano’s charges made during a budget hearing on Wednesday.
Citing a Notice of Award dated Feb. 20 this year, Cayetano said the procurement for the cottages included seven king-size beds worth P91,250 each; 17 queen-size beds at P84,600 each, as well as blinds and curtains worth P340,552.35 and P694,589.72, respectively.
The Senate minority leader described as “luxurious” and “extravagant” the beds and furnishings worth P7 million procured for the election body’s summer cottages.
In an interview with reporters yesterday, Brillantes said he was reviewing voluminous documents pertaining to the refurbishing of the Comelec cottages to be able to answer criticisms that the agency had overspent for the renovations.
“I’m just gathering all the documents since 2009 up to the present,” Brillantes said. “I want to see the details and what happened, and then I’ll be meeting with our people involved in the purchases,” he added.
The senator said he wanted the Comelec chief to explain the “extravagant” purchases when the election body makes a second presentation of its budget on Aug. 30.
Moral issue, not legal
Asked if someone would be held liable for the procurement, Brillantes said: “Of course someone has to be held liable, but I don’t know if there is an anomaly because it’s not overpriced; it’s just that it’s luxurious.”
“The issue here is moral rather than [legal],” he added.
Brillantes said that an initial review of the documents showed that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) had originally allotted P9 million for the furnishings, but that the Comelec en banc had asked the department to reduce the amount to P7.9 million instead.
“The DPWH proposed P9 million but for us that was too high so we asked them to cut it,” he said. “So when it was lowered to P7.9 million, we ordered our bids and awards committee to proceed with the acquisition.”
The poll chief said that while he would examine the beds and other items provided in the cottages, he would also look into the Comelec’s procurement process.
Brillantes has called the members of the Comelec’s bids and awards committee to a meeting today in preparation for his “confrontation” with Cayetano on Aug. 30.
