While we were busy watching the trial - GOTCHA by Jarius Bondoc

With Friday’s surprise testimony at the impeachment trial, how can there not be a God watching over our nation? Merry Christmas. May the crisis help us reflect on life’s basics: Love of God and fellowman.

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Is this a case of administration officials following the leader’s brazen example of breaking the law because they think they can get away with it? Or are they just so callously stupid they’d do anything even if it’s wrong?

Whatever, while the nation was busy watching the impeachment of Joseph Estrada, his garbage officials saw the opportunity to cook biddings for the Greater Metro Manila Solid Waste Management Program. So well did they do it that, after proclaiming that never again would they allow a Payatas "trash-slide" to bury alive hundreds of scavengers, they ended up approving the opening of two new Payatas-like dumps.

As with everything in government, biddings started out clean – until well-connected bidders found out they were losing, and the waff of quick bucks hit the noses of previously uninterested parties. The Metro Manila Development Authority and Presidential Flagship Projects Office published invitations in February for private firms to bid for modern waste technologies and sanitary landfills. Dozens bought bid documents and joined the first pre-bid meeting in March. MMDA-Flagship realized its mistake of setting a short April deadline to prequalify for a build-operate-transfer scheme, and reset it for June.

That’s when trouble started. MMDA-Flagship prequalified seven bidders and sent home two for late submissions. Per BOT Law, the seven further submitted clarifications to questions. In July, however, MMDA-Flagship reversed itself and accepted the two late bids. The seven naturally protested and walked out of the scheduled opening of technical bids. After months of arguing, the seven lost their point August. All nine technical bids were opened on Sept. 4, after which they took turns explaining these to Metro Manila mayors. Only two bidders passed the second round: Pro-Environment Consortium (PEC) and Dizon Group.

On Sept. 22, MMDA-Flagship finally opened the long-submitted financial bids. PEC won with a fee that would cost government only a little over half of Dizon’s charges. PEC’s winning proposal was to first haul trash to transfer stations in Metro Manila for treatment and packing. It would then transport the packed waste to Pililla, Rizal, for mechanized segregation and composting. Whatever waste is left – 10 percent of the original collection – would be compressed and repacked for sanitary landfill. European experts who perfected the technology would be flown in to oversee the job. No stench to foul up the air, no leachate to seep into underground water levels, no disease from open dumps.

A week later, MMDA-Flagship gave a strange directive for PEC to present an "interim proposal" to the mayors, something it already had done. PEC nonetheless complied in October – twice, in fact, to heads of MMDA-Flagship, then to the mayors. Twice, too, it wrote to ask for a status report; MMDA-Flagship ignored both letters.

The reason became clear on Nov. 10 when MMDA-Flagship asked a previously disqualified bidder, Celdex, to make an offer and presentation to mayors. To mask its unusual move that violated the BOT and bidding laws, MMDA-Flagship also invited other disqualified parties on Nov. 20 to make similar offers. The next day, covering its tracks but still in violation of laws, MMDA-Flagship invited "all proponents," meaning parties who didn’t join in February, to participate this time. It was like going through the process of prequalification, technical and financial bidding all over again – something MMDA-Flagship already did seven months back. This time, though, there would be no bidding. MMDA-Flagship would just pick the garbage contractor it wishes.

On Nov. 28, MMDA-Flagship awarded two contracts: to R2 Builders, also previously disqualified but which later teamed up with Celdex’s main owner; and Waste Action Recycling, which did not even join the bidding.

How’d they do that? Ask the MMDA-Flagship heads. Ask the son of a very powerful official. They’d know how PEC was eased out.

Meanwhile, people of Zambales and Antique will be forced to take in Metro Manila’s trash. MMDA-Flagship designated Dizon Group’s long-abandoned open-pit copper mine in San Marcelino, Zambales, as open dump. Too, a portion of Antique’s coal mine in Semirara Island, a certified bird and turtle sanctuary surrounded by rare sea shells and coral reefs. Oh, but Metro Manila mayors couldn’t care less, as long as they dump the trash outside their city limits.

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INTERACTION. Victor Zapanta, aol.com: Bribing radio commentators is nothing new (Gotcha, 23 Dec. 2000). It’s difficult to prove, though, because they’ve become so good at it, they know what words or phrases to use to sound fair.

Greg Campomanes, mindspring.com: With the impeachment trial showing that Yoly Ricaforte lied to the Senate Blue-Ribbon committee (Gotcha, 18 Dec. 2000); they should charge her with perjury.

Abel Coloma, edsamail.com: To add to the comment of reader Rodney Rafols on the axing of your DZXL show (Interaction, 18 Dec. 2000): For three days, cable-TV connection in Las Piñas went off the air while Chavit Singson was testifying. This did not happen with other impeachment witnesses. Coincidental?

Name withheld: Friday’s hearing proved two things: Miriam has this thing for Christmas parties; one defense lawyer is in dire need of a haircut, another resembles half-life only because of daily shots of formaline.

Manuel Martinez, ksaits.com: Did I hear Miriam right when she opposed the surprise witness because it would condition the people’s mind during the 11-day recess? May I remind her of the 1992 presidential race, when she was claiming to be leading everywhere. Talk about mind-conditioning.

Ross Gabino, yahoo.com: We, OFWs in Saudi Arabia, congratulate Clarissa Ocampo for coming forward to testify.

Bing Ramos, Hayworth, Ca.: With Ocampo, Lim, Itchon testifying, other ordinary citizens would find courage to tell the truth about Erap.

Ched Arzadon, digitelone.com: As testimonies vs Erap became more and more shocking, I changed my position from "Erap resign" to "Erap remain" – for a few more days at least, so we’ll get to know more about his every crime.

Thank you, Hanzel Leano, Atty. Mario E. Valderrama, Steffi Ruiz, Tessie de Castro, Joemari Krisanto, Joey Legarda, E.C. Ibazeta, Renato V. de Leon, Rodolfo Fermin, Juan Ventura, Junn Compuesto, Agapito M. Perez, Vic Contreras, Aida Aguas, A.C. Joaquin, Erni Basilio, Paul Pineda, M.P. Ramos, Jose T. Llacuna Jr., Leonardo Leano, Dexter C. Lim.

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