DOE chief welcomes NEA probe

Energy Secretary Vincent Perez said yesterday he welcomes an investigation by the Office of the Ombudsman on charges filed by a disqualified bidder in connection with a contract to supply wooden poles and crossbars for a component of the government’s rural electrification program.

Energy Undersecretary and Department of Energy spokesman Jocot de Dios said Perez is confident that an investigation by the Ombudsman "will help bring out the truth in this issue which has already confused a lot people."

De Dios, who is also spokesman for the energy department, said the probe would give the National Electrification Administration (NEA) "an impartial venue where it can explain why it disqualified Nerwin Industries Corp. from taking part in the project."

Nerwin has filed charges before the Ombudsman against the NEA board and the Prequalification, Bids and Awards Committee after the disqualification and its failure to bag the project.

Perez was included by Nerwin in the charge in view of the former’s position as ex-officio chairman of the NEA. De Dios clarified, however, that Perez "abstained from voting and affixing his signature to the resolution disqualifying Nerwin."

Before Perez assumed the DOE post, the NEA board had already disqualified Nerwin from participating in the bidding, De Dios said. The new board merely affirmed an earlier resolution disqualifying Nerwin.

De Dios said the NEA legal counsel may present before the Ombudsman copies of two reports which alleged that Nerwin had falsified certain documents in the pre-qualification process. These are the reports based on separate probes conducted by the NEA resident ombudsman and a special investigation committee and later submitted to the NEA board.

De Dios said the two reports had identical conclusions. The probes were conducted following complaints filed by another bidder for the supply contract.

De Dios said Perez "is hoping that the Ombudsman investigation can be over and done with soonest so that NEA can proceed with its mandate of rural electrification."

De Dios stressed that despite the current controversy, the DOE is aggressively pursuing the program.

He also appealed to all parties concerned to refrain from "further confusing the issues."