Probe sought on P1.31-billion purchase of textbooks through direct contracting

MANILA, Philippines - Cagayan Rep. Jack Enrile urged President Aquino yesterday to order an investigation into the procurement of textbooks worth P1.31 billion through direct contracting, which various civil society groups claim to have violated the law on government procurements.

Enrile said Aquino should ask Education Secretary Armin Luistro to explain why he authorized the direct contracting for the procurement of the books, as opposed to subjecting the contract to competitive bidding, which is the rule prescribed in Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act.

The lawmaker said resorting to direct contracting, especially for contracts amounting to billions of pesos “defeats the administration’s daang matuwid (straight path) mantra, and exposes the President’s sincerity and resolve in its promise of closing down avenues of corruption in government to attacks.”

“The administration should make every effort to erase doubts hovering over these textbook contracts amounting to billions of pesos. At the very least, the government should explain why DepEd (Department of Education) chose to make the purchase through direct contracting which is more of the exception than a rule in government procurement law,” Enrile said.

“Various civil society groups have been appealing for President Aquino to take a personal interest in this matter because this is a direct challenge to his government’s anti-corruption policy,” he explained.

Civil society groups sitting as observers in DepEd biddings, including the Ateneo School of Government, National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections, and Procurement Watch, earlier raised concern over the department’s decision to purchase over 30 million textbooks amounting to P1.31 billion through direct contracting.

DepEd officials have dismissed the issue, saying the law authorizes direct contracting, albeit as an alternative mode of procurement to competitive bidding as long as the head of the procuring entity authorized it.

According to Enrile, the DepEd’s argument “seems incongruous with President Aquino’s repeated pronouncements that government contracts awarded during this administration will be done with utmost transparency.”