Outcome of Capitol lot bidding saddens lawmaker

Saturday, July 16, 2011

NEGROS Occidental third district Representative Albee Benitez said Friday he was saddened by the outcome of the bidding conducted by the Provincial Government for its 7.7-hectare prime property.

"I’m really saddened that it has come to this situation. The bidding process may not have been fully thought of for this kind of misunderstanding to happen. The bidding should have been really done properly," Benitez said.

Have something to report? Tell us in text, photos or videos.

Benitez was with SM Prime Holdings president Hans Sy when the company presented to Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon its unsolicited bid for the property where they also presented the P2.5 billion development plan.

"SM submitted the highest bid but it was declared a failure. To my understanding, SM will try to enforce their position that they won the last bidding. They are a big company and they know what to do," Benitez disclosed.

When asked about the implication of the event to his political affiliation and relationship to the governor, Benitez said that politics is another story.

"We are looking at the way they handled the bidding process for the provincial property and all I can say, for this to happen, there must have been something wrong. Why did confusion and misunderstanding happen? That's the only thing I would like to point out," Benitez said.

He also said that he has not talked to the governor since last week.

"He was already aware of that I have been explaining the sentiments of SM, so it’s up to them," Benitez stated.

Marañon and Benitez are both leaders of the United Negros Alliance (UNA), which is the most dominant political group in the province.

Benitez also questioned why the committee declared a failure of bidding when SM participated in the July 7 re-bidding and offered a higher price than Ayala.

He added that he is also saddened by the events because, if it was a fully detailed procedure of bidding, maybe there would have been no room for complaint or confusion.

"What SM emphasizes is that how come that the Commission on Audit (COA) valuation was not part of the bid documents prior to the bidding. If I am not mistaken, two bidders participated and that their bids were opened. But how come it was declared a failure when SM offered the higher bid? The confusion was really in the process of the bidding," Benitez said.

He also pointed out that SM was made to believe that there was room for unsolicited bid, so they sent a letter to the province for the unsolicited bid, only to find out that there will be an actual bidding and not the unsolicited bid.