Diokno: Firetruck deal rebidding in 2 weeks

Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said yesterday the rebidding of the controversial P305-million firetruck deal of the Bureau of Fire Protection might be conducted within two weeks.

"The President has asked for a rebidding... to be done as soon as we get the specifications which should be within two weeks," Diokno said at the Kapihan sa Manila Hotel.

Asked why a rebidding should be conducted when no failed bidding occurred, Diokno said they consider the first two bids as practically even.

"The review committee (Presidential Management Staff) said the difference between the first and second (bidder) is too close at .07 points that we may consider it practically a tie," Diokno said.

Meanwhile, Diokno said it was not he, but the PMS which introduced the idea of "a division of awards" or a splitting of the whole contract between the two bidders.

"There is no document that would show I requested for another awarding of bids. (PMS Assistant Secretary for Legal Affairs Jesus Crispin) Remulla said the recommendation to divide the award came from them and I interposed no objection," Diokno said.

He said division of an award is allowed by law. "Under certain conditions, you can do that. But hindi ito galing sa akin (But the idea did not come from me)," he said.

"I said, 'Look, I have no objection. If you want that, maybe that's a good idea so that we can compare the performance (of the top two bidders),' " Diokno said.

But Diokno said the Commission on Audit (COA) might disallow dividing the award.

"After a thorough review, baka magkaproblema sa COA (this might create problems with COA)," he said.

Yolanda Ramos, chief operating officer of Pilipinas Daeyang Heavy Industrial Corp., which submitted the lowest bid but lost the firetruck contract, has threatened to file graft charges against Diokno.

Ramos held Diokno responsible for the recommendation to split the contract between her firm and Columbian Motors Corp.

Ramos has insisted that Pilipinas Daeyang rightfully won the bidding because its bid price was substantially lower than Columbian's, which the Inter-Agency Bids and Awards Committee declared the winner in a recommendation to the PMS.

Ramos alleged that Nora Aunor and Paquito Diaz lobbied for the Columbian bid, which the two showbiz personalities denied.