Supplier of fire gear sues Robredo

Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

The company who won the bidding for the supply of fire protection equipment worth P200 million to the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) has filed charges before the Quezon City prosecutor’s office against Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo  and BFP officer in charge Chief Supt. Samuel Perez.

Harry Roque, lawyer for the Kolonwel Trading which won the bidding, said they filed a petition for “mandamus” against Robredo and Perez to compel the two to issue a notice of award to the company.

Roque said his client won the bidding to supply 4,197 sets of gloves, coats and trousers, helmets and boots to the BFP in a sealed bidding in October 2010.

He explained that Perez in his capacity as head of the BFP had the authority to issue the notice of awards, but has continued to ignore the results of the bidding process.

“Perez overturned the recommendation of the awards committee, in effect violating Republic Act No. 9184 and committing grave abuse of discretion,” Roque said.

Perez, he said, refused to issue a notice of award and declared a failure of bidding without legal basis.

“Perez has maneuvered the situation such as to belatedly declare a failure of bidding even after all approvals required had already been issued,” Roque added.

He added that Robredo was included in the suit because of the latter’s supposed approval of Perez’s move to declare a failure of bidding.

Roque pointed out that Robredo had earlier already approved the recommendation to issue the notice of award to Kolonwel, being the winner with the lowest calculated price.