The group called "Serve the People Movement" staged a protest yesterday at the Department of Public Works and Highways in Bacolod City asking the agency to end what it alleged to be irregularities in the implementation of certain projects.

The group represented by Jose Lindy Chan Jr. said it wants to expose these irregularities so it they will not continue.

He wrote to acting District Engineer Norma Delonguines and engineer Ramon Belleza, chairman of the Bids and Awards Committee, that the SPM participated as observers in the pre-bid conference on March 16 and noted what it called violations of R.A. 9184.

He claimed the projects costing P32,557,264.30, published in several Invitations to Bid, did not contain the item "Source of Funds or the Special Allotment Release Order (SARO)" from the Department of Budget and Management. He also said Belleza explained that he was ordered by Delonguines to bid the projects to fast track the procurement process to beat the March 29 deadline of the Comelec on the banning of implementation of government projects.

PROJECTS NAMED

These projects are the wideing/improvement of the Cabalagnan Bridge amounting to P8.1 million, concreting of Bacolod-Granada boundary road - P3.4 million, asphalt overlay along Bacolod south road - P9.6 million, widening/improvement of Bacolod South Kabankalan road - P9.5 million and the repair/improvement of Bacolod-Murcia-San Carlos road - P1.9 million.

Chan said the BAC failed to invite the Commission on Audit and official observers to the pre-bid conference.

He claimed that the projects included of the pre-bid conference were not included in the agency's Annual Procurement Plan in violation of Section 7.1 and 7.5 of R.A. 9184.

PROCEDURES FOLLOWED

Meanwhile, Belleza said that, contrary to what Chan said, the five projects have Special Allotment Release Orders. He said the allegations of Chan are not true and that they have followed the procedures in the bidding process.

Belleza said Chan has filed charges against him and other personnel of the DPWH before. He said Chan is one of the contractors who participated in the biddings of DPWH.*CGS

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