LRT deal linked to polls, execs’ fund raising

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A consumers’ group is taking the Aquino administration to task for “failing to intervene and scuttle” the procurement proceedings at the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) for the P1.3-billion maintenance service contract for the LRT Line 2.

The National Coalition of Filipino Consumers (NCFC), through its lawyer and spokesperson Oliver San Antonio, claimed the alleged anomaly might be the work of some politicians “hell-bent on pulling-off quick ones—either to raise funds for the party’s 2016 election war chest or make money while nobody’s looking before leaving the government.”

“If saner minds in the Aquino administration fail to intervene and scuttle the procurement proceedings in the LRTA, the newer line among the three above-ground train systems operating in Metro Manila is bound to suffer the fate of the mass transit tragedy that is the MRT,” San Antonio said in a statement.

The NCFC earlier filed a graft complaint at the Office of the Ombudsman against 10 officials of the LRTA bids and awards committee (BAC) and secretariat for allegedly giving due advantage to the winning bidder, Busan-EDC Joint Venture, by accepting the company’s offer even after the period for the submission of bids had officially ended.

San Antonio said documents in their possession show that the LRTA’s BAC allowed the bidding to proceed despite the “obvious” nonresponsive tender made by Busan-EDC in relation to the technical specifications of LRT 2.

The lawyer referred to the technical working group report dated May 25, issued by lawyer Zandra A. Turila which noted 12 “nonresponsive” bid offers of Busan-EDC.

“The TWG (technical working group) report was issued in May where 12 nonresponsive provisions were found in the bid offer of Busan-EDC. Then just last June, the BAC concluded the bidding and announced that the winning bid they chose, Busan-EDC’s, was advantageous to the government,” said NCFC.

Misleading

The BAC officials, San Antonio added, “misled the public and the consumers of the government-run mass transport system because they failed to disclose that they waived and disregarded the valid and binding observations in the TWG report which warned of glaring disparities in the technical specifications.”

According to the NCFC, an examination of Busan-EDC’s work specifications showed that power supply requirements and switchgears were different from LRT 2’s requirements.

In addition, maintenance frequency schedules as well as maintenance for building and facilities, track works, rolling stock and signaling systems were much less frequent and different than the actual requirements strictly imposed by the Santolan to Recto rail line.

These deficiencies, San Antonio said, “could pose safety concerns.”

“Did the LRTA notice or did it deliberately ignore that the government was being had in this deal? Busan was bidding for LRT 2 but the specifications in their bid offer were copied and pasted from the requirements of MRT 3. In short, the BAC is dangerously toying and trifling with the lives and safety of hundreds of thousands of everyday commuters by disregarding strict technical requirements. This is irresponsible and simply unforgivable,” the lawyer pointed out.

Named respondents in the graft case against the LRTA’s BAC were Jose Jobel Belarmino, the chair of the BAC, and members Amador Calado Jr., Wilfredo Alday, Jesus Jimenez, Nestor Flores, Anita Lomboya, Joseph Hagos and Adelo Jandayan. Also included in the charge were BAC secretariat members Alwinston Pillos and Michael Cueto.