THE autoclave sterilizer acquired by the Iloilo Provincial Government for Don Valerio Palmares. Memorial District Hospital at Passi City, has tottered the foundation of the Provincial Capitol.

Vice Governor Rolex Suplico, claimed a patented one as specified in the bid, cost only P300,000. But members of the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) preferred the locally manufactured one for P1.3M which started the controversy!

But two BAC members involved in that deal immediately jump to the rescue. They are General Services Office (GSO) head, Ramy Salcedo and former provincial administrator Manuel “Boy” Mejorada.

They said to verify the records of the supplier and if proven unqualified to join the bid, will be disqualified from doing business in the Capitol. This is what their earlier claim hinted at. My God, they are already in the boiling pot but jumped into the fire!

Deliberate lies are understandable – that is to save face. But the damage was already done that what more they say on that autoclave machine, nobody believes anymore. Records of the Commission on Audit (COA) do not lie. No stonewalling or blame-tossing can save that deal, otherwise, truth is in danger of becoming their last casualty!

Even if they insinuate to commit suicide if not heard, the people will never believe them. Jurisprudence dictates; falsus in uno, falsus in omnibus – he who has lied about one thing is most likely to lie about everything. (Ramos vs. CA, 188 SCRA 450).

BAC members should know the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of RA 9184 known as the Government Procurement Act before they proceed to undertaking any job in relation to the accountabilities and responsibilities attendant thereto.

Rule V, Section 12 of the IRR states “BAC members shall have the following functions: xxx determine the eligibility of prospective bidders, xxx including the creation of a Technical Working Group (TWG) from a pool of technical, financial and legal experts to assist in the processing and eligibility screening, xxx.”

On how the supplier-in-question has passed the screening of BAC, only God knows. But BAC members have a lot of explaining to do now as the Sangguniang Panlalawigan had been contemplating to invite all of them to shed light on the matter.

We have a lot of lawyers in the Provincial Board (SP) and for sure, the session hall would be filled with audience eager to hear the niceties of questions and answers from people responsible in that messy deal.

I am uncertain though if Mejorada and Levy Buenavista will accept the SP’s invitation. The latter is also a BAC member. Just pondering on how these two coterminous with Gov. Niel Tupas have become members of the BAC, could drive Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez to the brink of insanity!

If they want to exonerate a playing innocent man on the top seat at the Capitol, they must accept the invitation. But to play safe and avoid personal embarrassment they must avoid it. SP members cannot just say they are guilty without due process. Audi alteram partem – no man shall be condemned unheard. (Posadas vs. CA, 56 SCRA 619).

The autoclave sterilizing machine is just one of the procurements of the Iloilo Provincial government that reeks with Domino Theory that fits my own patter– autoclave machine today, anesthetic machine tomorrow, the software, etc and so forth.

We have yet to unearth the unsigned delivery of Anesthetic Machine for Calinog District Hospital and the refusal of the IT officer to acknowledge the delivered software for the computerization of the Real Property Tax Division but it already connotes disdain.

As the governor’s stooges easily yield to temptation of greed, they find plenty of leeway to circumvent the law in exchange for – you know what. Now all BAC members are in trouble for going beyond what is permitted. They forgot what their law book says; “Via trita est tutissima”- the trodden path is the safest. (Tolentino vs. Sec. of Finance, 235 SCRA 630).

One Response to “From one we learn all”

• 1
  Dr. Antonio Gestosani
  October 9th, 2008 20:56

  This Capitol scandal has mushrooming to all newspapers in Iloilo that I personally believe it now becomes so political. This bias reporting against certain individuals gets the attention of everybody and so did I. You will agree with me that this despicable conduct of dealing with official business is rampant in the government and thus become the SOP (standard operating procedure). Ask yourselves this question: How many politicians you know became millionaires as a result of this illicit practices? The answer is: All. Therefore if you make noise, don’t spare certain groups and eyeball only one group. People will get suspicious of your motive and it become political. Where does the Ombudsman (your government watchdog against corruption) stands on this issue?

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