Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia said yesterday that he cannot do anything if only one company qualifies in the bidding for the construction of the new government center.

"We need to stick to the rules. So long as we follow the law, that is all that matters to me," he said in an interview with City Hall reporters.

Leonardia was reacting to reports that the public interest might not be protected if no other bidder will compete for the job to construct the government center at the five-hectare lot in Barangay Villamonte donated to the city by the Gonzaga family.

The construction will funded by a P400-million loan from the Land Bank of the Philippines.

Out of the nine bidders that have presented their conceptual designs for the proposed government center, however, only Hilmarc's Construction Corp. passed the criteria of the Bids and Awards Committee headed by Goldwyn Nifras, its chairman.

"So what will we do? Qualify those that didn't qualify to please the bright people?" Leonardia said, apparently referring to critics.

He said that even the BAC considered the possibility that some people will find the selection of the lone bidder malicious.

"But what is the better way to do it?" he asked, adding that based on guidelines and regulations, only Hilmarc's qualified.

Liberty Builders has submitted a motion for reconsideration before the BAC while J.H. Pajara Construction Corp. is also expected to make a similar move.

Other bidders are Tokwing Construction, WT Construction Inc., R-H Builders Inc., Young Builders Inc., Pragmatic Development Corp., and J.M. Luciano Construction Inc.

Leonardia, however, said that even if only one bidder qualified, the BAC still has to determine whether it can comply with the requirements.

He said that with Hilmarc's, it will become a negotiated bid but the company will still be evaluated for compliance.

If both BAC and the bidder cannot agree on the terms, then the negotiation will not push through, the mayor said.

Leonardia also said that he has instructed Nifras to attend the caucus called by the Sangguniang Panlungsod members on the proposed government center.

"The caucus is intended to facilitate things, and also to ensure clarity and transparency," he said.*NLG

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