Letter to the Editor: On the overpricing of basketball boards and panaflex signs

CEBU, Philippines - May I express my views on the alleged overpricing in the purchase of basketball boards and panaflex signs, recently reported in your newspaper.

Congressman Raul V. Del Mar is being the subject of a malicious imputation simply because it is his project, implying that Raul had a part in the selection and award of the contractor or supplier. This is deliberate falsity.

The Congressman merely identifies the project and includes it in his choice list of projects for funding. Once approved for funding, the funds are released directly to the Implementing Agency, which takes over the entire procurement process, from the invitation to bid to public bidding, from post qualification of bidders to the award of the contracts, all in accordance with the Government Procurement Reform Law that governs public bidding of government projects.

This has been observed through the years in Raul's congressional initiatives or projects - whether the implementing agency is the DPWH, the city or the barangays. At no point is there any opportunity for intervention by the Congressman in the bidding and award of contracts. Besides - and this is important - there are sufficient safeguards in place to protect government's interest.

Not only is the Commission on Audit an observer in the procurement process but it continues to exercise its auditorial functions over the project after its award, implementation and payment.

I had the privilege of discussing this matter of procurement with Raul on several occasions. And his reason-with which I fully concur - for not being involved in public bidding is simple. He says it is a good policy because it puts him beyond insinuations of participation or involvement in case of irregularities or any form of wrongdoing.

Take the case of DPWH, the implementing agency in the questioned project. This is the first time in more than 20 years that the handling of a project by DPWH is under fire. In the many projects that DPWH implemented, which were unquestioned and whose benefits Cebu residents now fully enjoy, we used to thank Raul for the transparency and proper conduct of bidding and he used to say: "Don't thank me, instead thank the DPWH for a job well done." And we were happy for DPWH. Now that there are alleged lapses in the project in question, why has it become so easy to incriminate Congressman Del Mar? Without implying anything, is it difficult to look at the DPWH, the implementing agency, and ask the proper questions, which is the correct thing to do?

I understand that the political season has started. But never should we allow political shamelessness and malice to obscure and confuse decency and truth.

Raul is a friend of long standing. Our friendship goes a long way back to our active years in the Jaycees and in the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry which we both served as President. I have followed his public service career and I have seen the many things he has done for the city. Truth to tell, I still have to hear of any charge of any wrongdoing in any court or any complaint before any body or tribunal that has reached investigative level. And this is a matter of record.

I am making this statement to be fair to a guy who has worked so hard to serve his constituents in his now almost six terms as Congressman. Basic decency and fairness demand that we put things in correct perspective. It is simply not right to let this record of public service be tainted because of such a shameless and ridiculous charge from one person. This is also to express my extreme dismay and indignation as to how an opposition leader, whose ill-will is of public knowledge, is tolerated or accommodated to discredit at his pleasure the hard-earned reputation of a public official who has never allowed personal interest to come before public service. There must be a limit to one's malicious inclinations.

 (Sgd.) Dr. Efren S. Valiente