No public bidding for additional energy — DOE

Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla. RYAN LEAGOGO/INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – There won’t be any time left for public bidding once Congress allows President Benigno Aquino III to contract additional generating capacity to prevent blackouts from happening next year.

“When you contract there is no public bidding?” Senator Ralph Recto asked Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla during a Senate committee on energy hearing Thursday.

“Yes, Mr. Chair because there is little time to contract at this point,” Petilla said.

Recto said that the Executive should have asked for contracting powers but Petilla said it took time because they tried to solve the problem through other means.

“I already informed the President but he wanted to exhaust all possible measures before we go into contracting,” he said.

Petilla said that the recommended body that would do the contracting would ensure that the process would be transparent. He said the quotes or prices would be posted online.

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