Results of the bidding, held at barangay Quiot, showed that RDAK tendered a price of P199,500 for every multi-cab, a little lower than the bidding price cap of P200,000 per multi-cab that the barangay's Bid and Awards Committee had set.
This means that RDAK had put the total price of P3.99 million for the 20 vehicles, each of which would also be covered with a three-month warranty.
The bidding was held after the committee decided to grant RDAK, through its representative Serecio Dy, reconsideration of its previous question over the seating capacity of the multi-cabs offered.
The BAC questioned RDAK's certificate of insurance for every vehicle that indicated only an 8-seating capacity, which means that it failed to meet the 18-seat requirement.
RDAK moved for reconsideration and clarified that the indicated "eight seats" referred only to one side of the vehicle's passenger area at the back so, together with the other side and the front seats, what it offered were 18-seater multi-cabs.
BAC member, councilman Francis Espares, said the committee would still conduct a post-evaluation of the RDAK multi-cabs within 15 days after the date of the bid.
During the pre-qualification last February 15, four others aside from RDAK came but in yesterday's bidding proper, JRA and Hilton did not attend while Albert Surplus arrived late to be disqualified.
Norkis, despite its disqualification for failing to submit an accreditation permit from the city government, sent its representative Benar Amper supposedly to witness the bid.
Amper said his firm has been studying an option to appeal to the BAC for a reconsideration of its disqualification. He said that Norkis could tender a P174,000 price for a multi-cab with a one-year warranty, an offer that is better than RDAK's.
The purchase of 20 multi-cabs for use of 20 barangays in the south district was a project of Rep. Cuenco, under his P6-million PDAF coursed through barangay Quiot.
This matter however came under fire when a complaint was raised at the Ombudsman alleging that the multi-cabs were overpriced at P300,000 each.
An RDAK official later clarified that the Chariot Suzuki passenger type multi-cab, priced at P300,000, has higher-class specifications.
It is a 2-wheel drive 4-speed manual vehicle with a 12-valve 3-cyclinder 660-cc engine that is 4-stroke, water-cooled, and gasoline-fed. It also has a front suspension of independent Macpherson struts, and HD springs with shock absorbers in the rear.
Budget regional director Carmela Fernan had confirmed that the department had released a total of P7.5 million for the PDAF of Rep. Cuenco. - Ramil V. Ayuman