MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday defended the lone bidder who won the P21 million contract to deploy security guards to man the gates and offices of Camp Crame in Quezon City, the national headquarters of the PNP, saying that the bidder followed guidelines provided under Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act.
Camp Crame. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO
Police Senior Superintendent Roberto Po, spokesperson of PNP Director General Alan Purisima, said that the PNP facilitated an aboveboard bidding process when it awarded the contract to Right Eight Security Agency Inc., the winning bidder.
“Ito ay isang aboveboard bidding (process). Sinunod ng PNP ang batas tungkol diyan sa bidding according to the Government Procurement Act and its implementing rules and regulations. Yung PNP, nag-imbita, nag-open ng bidding pero isa lang ang nag-qualify na nag-bid. Kung tatanungin nila kung ligal ito, liga na ligal ito,” Po said in an interview over Radyo Inquirer 990 AM.
[This is an aboveboard bidding (process). The PNP followed the law with regard to bidding according to the Government Procurement Act and its implementing rules and regulations. The PNP invited bidders, open the bidding but only one qualified for the bid. The bidding process is legal.]
Po said that Right Eight Security Agency Inc. won the contract after satisfying any of the three circumstances under the single calculated/ rated and responsive bid submission provision stated in Section 36, Article X of RA 9184.
The deployment of more than 70 security guards in Camp Crame, which started over the weekend, was an effort of the PNP to increase the visibility of policemen in the streets and deploy more policemen in other police units.
Po issued the statement amid questions raised over the bidding process.
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