Pag-IBIG exec denies Binay muscled way to get contract for security agency

MANILA, Philippines—Pag-IBIG Fund president and chief executive officer  Darlene Marie Berberabe told a Senate hearing on Thursday that there was no ‘hanky-panky’ in its biddings, contrary to allegations that  it awarded a contract to a security agency without  conducting  biddings.

Berberabe particularly denied allegations that Vice President Jejomar Binay used his position to get OMNI Security Investigation and General Services Inc., the same security service hired by the Makati City government when the Vice President was still the city mayor, a contract into Pag-IBIG.

“If the issue is whether the honorable Vice President Jejomar Binay who is the chairman of Pag-IBIG Fund board of trustees, used his power to get OMNI into Pag-IBIG, I categorically deny that. No, this did not happen,” she told the  Senate blue ribbon subcommittee.

“OMNI had in fact a chance to get a P193 million security service contract for 236 security guards for our NCR offices, warehouses and acquired assets form Pag-IBIG funds for three years when we [bid] out this contract in 2012. However, we disqualified OMNI for being late in submitting their bid documents late for one minute,”  she said.

“This clearly shows that we follow the procurement laws strictly and there’s no hanky-panky in our bidding  process,”  Berberabe added.

The only contract that Pag-IBIG had with OMNI, she said, was for her three close-in security worth only P420,000 per contract for four  months.

Berberabe admitted that it was the Vice President who recommended  the services for her close-in security and that no bidding was conducted, citing the “smallness” of the amount involved.

“Because of the smallness of the amount, the contract was entered into by a department manager who had a signing authority. Considering the urgency, the required protection as well as the primacy of trust and confidence in such an engagement, public bidding was considered inappropriate,” she said.

The three close-in security guards, she said, were engaged through emergency procurement, which she said is an alternative mode of procurement recognized under RA 9184 “where there is imminent danger to life or when time is of the essence, and immediate action is necessary…”

“This should negate any suggestions that Vice Pesident Binay is trying to clinch multimillion contract for  OMNI or that Vice President uses his position  to  get contracts for Omni into Pag-IBIG fund,”  Berberabe said.

“Masasabi ko rin po na sa apat na taon na naglingkod ako sa Pag-IBIG, walang utos si Vice President  Binay na pinilit na masubukan ang aking paninidigan  na  gumawa ng tama…” she further said.

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