NPO defends bidding process

An official of the National Printing Office (NPO) has defended the credibility of the agency’s bidding process, following a request by three printing executives for the Senate to look into alleged anomalies in the agency.

NPO spokeswoman Sofia Tampoc said the NPO management would welcome any congressional probe, but at the same time would ask Sen. Richard Gordon to be "more circumspect in entertaining the complaints by some irate printers whose anomalies have already been exposed and addressed by the new management."

The NPO also took exception to charges made by Robert Bunagan, whom Tampoc said may have been hurt after his company was found to be printing fake community tax certificates on top of other violations.

The exchange of barbs between the NPO, concerned accredited printers and Bunagan’s group came amid the assumption of Felipe Evardone as NPO officer-in-charge.

Tampoc came out with the statement after at least 23 NPO-accredited printers and suppliers expressed support for the NPO under Evardone’s leadership.

In a signed resolution sent to The STAR, Tampoc said all printers and suppliers "in good standing" categorically denied the accusations hurled by owners of Eastland, Bestforms and Ernest on alleged corruption within the agency.

"For them to come out in support of the new management and ask that they themselves be purged of the bad eggs within their ranks is something that never happened before in the entire 104-year history of the NPO," Tampoc said in welcoming the group’s resolution.

The 23 printers and suppliers condemned allegations hurled by Anselmo Badillo, sales manager of Ernest Printing; another private printer, Bestforms; and Robert Bunagan, finance manager of the Eastland Printing, and asked Gordon to also look into alleged extortion at the NPO.

Last weekend, Bunagan revealed that some top NPO officials were demanding a 6.5-percent commission for every contract closed with the agency.

However, the 23 printers and suppliers have since recommended the blacklisting of the three printing groups.

"We, the accredited security printers and suppliers in good standing, recommend the perpetual blacklisting of all three formerly accredited security printers — Eastland, Bestforms and Ernest — for tainting our otherwise unblemished reputations and committing misconduct inimical to the national interest," the group said in the resolution after they had a meeting at the NPO conference room in Quezon City yesterday.

"Naturally, those who have been found to have broken the rules and violated the law would cry foul, but if you are a printer or supplier with good standing, there is nothing to fear and complain about," one of the printers from Marikina City said. — Christina Mendez