MANILA, Philippines?Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap and other officials of the department should be investigated by Congress over their alleged involvement in the purchase of overpriced ice-making machines, a militant fisher folk alliance said Friday.

The Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (National Strength of Movement of Fishermen in the Philippines or Pamalakaya) said lawmakers should look into the P455-million scam because it involves taxpayers? money.

INQUIRER.net tried to reach Yap for his reaction to the call for a probe, but he has not replied to text messages.

The group claimed the machines were overpriced by a total of P225 million or P2.3 million per unit.

Pamalakaya national chairman Fernando Hicap said Yap allowed the procurement of 98 units of ice-making machines at P 4.65 million per unit, while its actual price based on industry standard was only P 2.3 million per unit.

?This ice-making machine project is nothing but a grand slam money-making activity authored by Malacanang, Secretary Yap, and their cash-making personnel at the Department of Agriculture,? Hicap said in a statement.

Hicap said the agriculture department through the National Agribusiness Corporation (Nabcor) awarded the government contract to a lone bidder?the Integrated Refrigeration System and Services (IRSS) on September 2, 2009.

?In the name of national interest and public trust, Secretary Yap should immediately revoke the contract because it is highly disadvantageous to the national government and to the taxpaying public,? he added.

According to Pamalakaya and the Anakpawis party list, Nabcor conducted a preliminary bidding last August 26, and IRSS which won the bidding, was only incorporated on August 25, a day before the preliminary bidding was conducted.

The groups said under Republic Act 9184 (Procuring Law), Section 37.1, the bidder must submit a copy of its single largest completed contract over the past three years, and such condition is impossible for IRSS, which was only incorporated on August 25, this year, a day before the preliminary bidding. The contract was finally awarded last September 2.

Pamalakaya is planning to file a plunder case against Yap and other officials of Nabcor if they will not cancel the contract with IRSS on or before the end of 2009.

Aside from Yap, the group said it will include in the plunder charge top officials of Nabcor, namely Alan A. Javellana, president; Romulo A. Relevo, chairman of the Bids and Awards Committee; Dennis Lozada, Winston Azucena, Melody De Guzman, and Encarnita Cristina Munsod, all members of Bids and Awards Committee, as well as owners and operators of IRSS.

Earlier, businessman Allan Ragasa filed charges against Yap and officials of Nabcor and officers of IRSS headed by its chairman Alexander Leung before the Office of the Ombudsman in relation to the questionable awarding of contract to IRSS which he claimed was a violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.