Who's telling the truth? DPWH personnel or Cebesos' Saavedra?

[omad]

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Friday, December 01, 2006
P79M security cam contract of winning bidder rescinded
By Elias O. Baquero

CEBU CITY -- The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) rescinded the P79-million contract it awarded to a winning bidder to supply traffic surveillance equipment for the Asean summit.

The contract was cancelled due to the contractor's alleged failure to deliver, install, commission and test the security cameras.

DPWH 7 Director Robert Lala said the contract with Cebesos Development Corp., represented by its proprietor Crisologo Saavedra, was terminated based on the instruction of Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane.

But Saavedra said he feels that DPWH officials are giving him a hard time by refusing to accept his deliveries because they want to cheat him of his contract.

Lala said, though, that Cebesos failed to complete the project on the November 20 deadline. The deadline was extended to November 25, which Cebesos still failed to meet.

This prompted the bids and awards committee (BAC) chaired by DPWH Assistant Director Marlina Alvizo to re-convene last November 27.

It awarded the project to the second willing bidder, Triton Communications Corp., which promised to finish it in seven days.

Saavedra has a different take on the change of contract.

He cited an incident when Alvizo summoned him to her office and told him that their superiors in Manila want a cut of 15 percent of the total project cost.

Saavedra said that 15 percent of his P79-million bid is equivalent to about P12 million.

He committed to Alvizo P10 million, which will be given upon full payment of the project.

Since then, Saavedra said Lala became strict and will not listen to his explanation. This was followed by the refusal of DPWH officials to accept the equipment he delivered.

Lala, in an interview, denied that they demanded kickbacks from the project.

"Bisag kape wa nay gihatag. Ako pay magpakape niya (He didn't give us even coffee)," Lala said.

Lala said they are transparent and can give details of the issue on Monday, with documents.

Saavedra said if DPWH wants to speed up the project and to be fair to him, they should accept his deliveries and pay for these.

full story

[voldemort]

This is a typical scenario when you close a deal with most, if not all, gov't. agencies. And this is one of the reasons why the management of the company i'm working for avoids, as much as possible, to make business with the gov't.

[dagget]

Clearly a contractor refusing to give the full kickback....

expect to get an inferior, obsolete, low quality surveillance equipment....

ASEAN SUMMIT is 4 days..

Thats how long the system will function..... after 4 days its dead cameras all over cebu..... just for scrap

[potterboy]

hahaha! who are they fooling? '""Bisag kape wa nay gihatag. Ako pay magpakape niya (He didn't give us even coffee)," Lala said."

klaro kaayo na ilang duwa. di nalang ta. tsk.