Ombudsman urged to act on P486-M bidding anomaly at NAIA

CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga, Philippines – The Office of the Ombudsman was urged yesterday to act on a graft case against Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) general manager Jose Angel Honrado in connection with the alleged anomalous bidding for the P486-million communications and surveillance project.

Aside from Honrado, members of the bids and awards committee of the Manila International Airport Authority were also charged with grave misconduct.

Other respondents were BAC chairman Vicente Guerzon; vice chairman Carlos Lozada; members Octavio Lina, Ma. Perla Dumo and Leonides Cruz; BAC technical working group members Manuel Ochoa, Pastor Dalmacion Jr. and Jose Rossano Llobrera;

BAC technical evaluation committee chairman Jesus Gordon Descanzo, vice chairman Enrico Francisco Gonzales and members Llobrera, Edgardo Jose Manisic and consultant Rizaldy Reblora.

The STAR tried to get Honrado’s side but failed.

In a complaint-affidavit submitted to the ombudsman, Gilzael Vida of the joint venture of Annex Digital Inc. and Geutebruck Pty. Ltd. alleged that the respondents “are hell-bent on fast-tracking the negotiated procurement of closed-circuit television (CCTV) system” before President Aquino’s term ends.

Rea Lactao, a representative of the joint venture, initially filed the graft complaint.

Lactao claimed that the terms of reference for the CCTV project were altered last year to accommodate a favored bidder. The joint venture was among the companies that qualified for the bidding, she said.

The firm has filed a motion before the Pasay City Regional Trial Court seeking to stop the bidding for the project.

Vida said Honrado and the BAC officials issued invitations to bid last month despite a pending petition before the Pasay court.

Rico Quiambao, lawyer for the joint venture, said under the law, no negotiated bidding for a government project can be done unless two biddings failed.

He maintained that only one bidding has so far been held because the project was altered in time for the supposed second bidding last year.

Vida noted that the first bidding for the project, titled “Design, Supply, Installation and Commissioning of CCTV Cameras and Surveillance System at NAIA,” was held on Aug. 29, 2014.

In the second bidding held on Feb. 24, 2015, BAC officials removed the word “design” in the title allegedly to accommodate a favored bidder.

“This bidding could not be considered a second bidding,” Vida said.

CAAP deputy director for operations Rodante Joya said Kalayaan Mayor Eugenio Bito-onon Jr. agreed to lease a parcel of land for the installation of the ADS-B equipment.

The equipment allows pilots to monitor in their cockpit flight display other aircraft operating in the airspace. – With Rudy Santos