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By James Konstantin Galvez Reporter
Apartylist representative on
Friday expressed fears that Malacañang and the Department of
Education (DepEd) intend to revive the multimillion-peso contract
for a school-feeding program without the rebidding process.According
to Bayan Muna Representative Teddy Casiño, Jeverps Manufacturing
Corp. plans to sue DepEd for canceling the P427-million contract on
allegations that the bidding process had been rigged to favor the
firm.
“The Education department is
just waiting to enter into an amicable settlement with the company.
This way, they can bypass the rebidding process and award the
contract to Jeverps,” Casiño said in a telephone interview with
The Manila Times on Friday.
Casiño is the author of House
Bill 1126 directing the House Committee on Good Government to
investigate the alleged anomaly.
He said efforts are apparently
underway to revive the contract as paid advertisements had appeared
in various newspapers last week showing President Gloria Arroyo and
Department of Health Secretary Francisco Duque 3rd endorsing
DepEd’s noodle feeding program even after the contract had been
canceled.
Titled “Noodles For A Healthy
Start,” the third paragraph of the ad states that “prolonging
the noodle controversy will only compromise the health and nutrition
of school children especially the malnourished.”
“I wonder why Malacañang and
the DOH would bother to come out with paid ads endorsing a cancelled
DepEd program. Are they preparing the public for a revival of the
overpriced project?” Casiño asked.
He said the cancelation of the
program for school year 2009 to 2010 was a mere “tactical
retreat” by DepEd to avoid a temporary restraining order from the
courts.
“[Education] Secretary [Jesli]
Lapus [said] he still considers the contract with Jeverps regular
and legal, and that it was merely canceled to avoid a possible
temporary restraining order from the courts . . . in other words, it
was just a tactical retreat,” Casiño said.
Lapus had downplayed the graft
complaint filed by a noodle supplier against him and five other
education officials in connection, saying nothing was procured and
no contract was finalized as the feeding program had been canceled.
In his 11-page
complaint-affidavit, Gaudencio Quido, a former sales manager of
Kolonwel Trading, asked the anti-graft body to indict Lapus and his
co-respondents for violations of Republic Act 3019, or the
Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act for “giving undue
disadvantage in favor” for a private supplier.
The contract for the supply of 19
million packs of “fortified noodles” was won by Jeverps—the
same corporation that reportedly “cornered” the supply of DepEd
noodles for the past 10 years.
Casiño said if Lapus truly
believes that instant noodles are the solution to malnutrition among
schoolchildren, he should immediately rebid the project and make
sure the more reputable companies participate in the bidding.
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