Despite the “daang matuwid” (straight and narrow path) slogan, some people in the Aquino administration are making it hard for investors to deal honestly with the government.
For example, construction of the new Mactan International Airport in Cebu may be delayed because the awarding of the contract, initially set on Jan. 6, 2014, has yet to take place.
The tandem of Megawide Construction Corp., a local company, and Bangalore-based GMR Airports Ltd. won over several companies in a public bidding held on Dec. 12, 2013.
Since the awarding of the contract has yet to push through, the winning bidder has expressed apprehension that the contract signing between it and the government scheduled for Feb. 6 may not transpire.
The possible delay in the contract signing may delay the construction of the new Mactan International Airport.
The total cost of the project is P35 billion and the winning bidder is ready to pay P14.49 billion for the bid.
Filinvest, a local company and one of the losing bidders, is a sore loser.
Filinvest is questioning the financial, legal and technical qualifications of GMR, issues it did not raise during the bidding.
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Our government has gained the dubious reputation of dishonoring a winning bid.
Many years ago, a Malaysian firm won the contract to buy and manage the Manila Hotel in a public bidding.
But the government awarded the contract to the next highest bidder, a local company owned by a newspaper publisher.
The government went along with the argument put up by the losing bidder that the Manila Hotel is a national heritage and should therefore be awarded to a local company.
For crying out loud! Why didn’t the local firm bring up the issue of national heritage during the public bidding instead of after the contract had been awarded to the Malaysian company?
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This item is a reminder to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) and Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) to comply with a Supreme Court ruling (Cantoja vs. Lim, G.R. 168386 (2010) on the applications for foreshore lease in Mariveles, Bataan.
According to the owner of a property under dispute, the high court ruled that “the registered owner of the property adjoining the foreshore, as a riparian owner, has preferential right to the foreshore area.”
The owner is apprehensive that DENR, Marina and PPA officials may issue a permit to another claimant who “misrepresents himself as the registered owner.”
The property in question is located in Alasasin, Mariveles.
Why do the above-cited agencies have to be reminded of the law on property rights?
Because most of the time, the courts or quasijudicial bodies like those mentioned earlier tend to “forget” when money is dangled before them.
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Despite all the evidence against him, Mike Pabalate, a teacher at Balabag Elementary School in La Carlota City, Negros Occidental, was cleared recently of child abuse.
Prosecutor Victor Tañoso dismissed the complaint, saying the accusations against Pabalate were a “rehash of the evidence in a previous case which was dismissed.”
In short, Palabate had been charged with child abuse even before he was accused of hitting 11-year-old Ron-Ron Lopez in the head with a dustpan.
Pabalate is facing more cases of inflicting physical punishment on his pupils.
Calling the Departments of Justice (DOJ) and of Education (DepEd)!