MIAA chief faces graft raps over CCTV project

MANILA, Philippines - Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) general manager Jose Angel Honrado was charged yesterday with graft over the planned procurement of a P486-million closed-circuit television (CCTV) system without public bidding.

Enrico Quiambao, lawyer for Annex Digital Inc. and Geutebruck Pty. Ltd. joint venture, filed the charges before the Office of the Ombudsman against Honrado, members of the MIAA bids and awards committee and its technical working group and project consultant Rizaldy Reblora.

Quiambao claimed that Honrado was just using the bullet planting incidents to justify the installation of the CCTV system at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

“All these tanim-bala incidents would not have happened had the CCTV system been installed long time ago. But the project had been slowed down by attempts to rig the bidding,” Quiambao said.

Earlier, Honrado said the MIAA would enter into a negotiated procurement following two failed biddings.

Under Republic Act 9184 or the Procurement Law, a negotiated mode of procurement may take place after two failed biddings.

MIAA officials attributed the failed bids to the inability of participating bidders to meet technical requirements for the project.

“It’s not true. There was only one bidding held because the TOR (terms of reference) was changed during the first bidding last year. Under the procurement law, the first bidding should not count because the TOR was changed,” Quiambao said.

Also named respondents were the officials of the allegedly favored firms, Advance Security and Safety Solutions Inc. (AS3) and One Commerce International Corp.

The complaint said AS3 did not participate in the initial bidding, while One Commerce had failed to meet certain requirements.

According to Quiambao, the joint venture of Annex Digital and Geutebruck Pty. Ltd. and another firm, Trends & Technologies Inc., were initially declared as eligible bidders.

However, in a post-evaluation of bids reportedly prepared by Reblora, the two firms were disqualified.

During the submission of another round of bids on Feb. 24 this year, Annex Digital was again declared eligible as the second lowest bidder, along with AS3 and One Commerce as the lowest and third lowest bidders, respectively.

Tanim-bala case

 A number of government officials also face possible legal suit for their alleged failure to protect tanim-bala victim Gloria Ortinez.

Spokcy Farolan, Ortinez’s legal counsel, said they are preparing charges against the government on the case.

“We are studying what appropriate charges to file, not only against those involved in the tanim-bala scheme, but also those who failed to do their duties of protecting Ortinez,” Farolan said in a radio interview.

He noted that her employer in Hong Kong terminated Ortinez because she was unable to return to her job as scheduled.

Farolan said the government even failed to notify Ortinez that she had been formally terminated and were informed only by Hong Kong immigration authorities when they arrived there last Saturday.

OFW advocate Susan Ople said Ortinez’s employer refused to allow the Filipina worker to enter her home. 

Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said he is willing to provide employment to Ortinez.

Romualdez said his staff is now establishing contact with her for details of her case and provide her suitable employment here at home. – With Mayen Jaymalin, Paolo Romero, Marvin Sy

ERRATUM: In yesterday's photo which appeared in the story, the person was mistakenly identified as Manila International Airport Authority General Manager Jose Angel Honrado. The photo has been corrected.