Is Customs chief Lapeña playing dumb?

With the Swiss challenge in place in all major government projects and purchases as ordered by President Digong, there will be no more bids and awards committees.

A Swiss challenge means that when a government agency wants to undertake a big project or purchase, a private firm may submit a proposal which can be matched or surpassed by others. The first firm may then make a counterbid.

The Swiss challenge is expected to do away with corruption and delays in government projects.

But will there still be public bidding for small contracts?

In the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), for example, corrupt officials could skirt the Swiss challenge by dividing a big project into smaller ones. For example, P200 million could be divided into four P50-million projects.

The amount, P50 million, is the ceiling set for minor projects which are handled by district engineers who form their own bids and awards (BACs) committees.

The going rate — what they call “SOP” — is five percent for the district BAC courtesy of the winning bidder.

This means P2.5 million less for project materials and workers’ salaries.

This is on top of the amount that goes to the congressman or local official who sponsored the project.

This practice is public knowledge.

Thus, the public is left with highways that get eroded with the first heavy rains or bridges that get washed away by rampaging floods.

Serves us right for tolerating DPWH engineers who spend their loot in casinos and sabungan (cockpit).

In the provinces, DPWH engineers are given choice seats in the sabungan along with corrupt congressmen and local officials.

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You think that after the “good riddance” departure of  Nicanor Faeldon, the tara (illegal exaction) system at the Bureau of Customs has abated?

It has become worse under Commissioner Isidro Lapeña, according to some insiders and importers who complained to this columnist.

Before, the office of the customs chief and his fellow ex-mutineers got the lion’s share of the tara with the crumbs divided among the Little Indians, my sources said.

But now, the men that Lapeña brought with him from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) where he once served as director general, have taken over the tara collection.

In fairness to Lapeña, he ordered the return to PDEA of Wilkins Villanueva, his original trusted man, over some alleged shenanigan. However, the others remain, along with a relative who reportedly drops his name.

Lower-ranking customs officials would withhold the release of a cargo, citing adverse reports about the shipment when they really just want to collect their own tara.

Doesn’t Lapeña know what is happening or is he just playing dumb?