Wednesday, April 30, 2008 Yodong going all the way in complaint
THE partial explanation of Teachers Camp directress Lovenia Gorospe is not enough for Richard Yodong.
Yodong's Salidummay General Construction was inexplicably taken out of the bid for six landscaping projects at Teachers Camp in favor of previously "disqualified" contractors.
Gorospe's clarification that Yodong "did not have a similar project" before he attempted to join in the Teachers Camp landscaping jobs was unsatisfactory for Yodong.
He said he will pursue the case he filed with the Office of the Ombudsman now that he has found more evidence to prove there was a scheme to deny him any of the projects offered in March 12 bid.
No backing out
Through courier, Yodong filed his complaint with the ombudsman on April 20. It was officially received the following day and the investigation whether there is enough evidence for a case to be elevated to the Sandiganbayan is now on.
"There is no stopping it (his complaint) now. I am going to pursue this all the way," Yodong said.
He believed there is adequate data to prove his case.
"The obvious scheme of the BAC (bids and awards committee) to deny and weed out Salidummay General Construction from winning the awards further manifest the irregularities in the proceedings and unjustifiable decisions of the BAC together with the consultants, Ric Aquino and Architect Sac," he said in his complaint.
Ready
Gorospe and the rest of the membership of BAC are more than ready to defend themselves.
"The bidding was witnessed by representatives of the Commission on Elections, and other sectoral representatives," Gorospe claimed.
She stressed Yodong had every opportunity to question the awards but he did not. "Under Republic Act 9184 (the New Government Procurements Act), anyone could question the awards. Up to now, we have not received any opposition," she said.
Still, Yodong is unmoved. "The unclear and unreasonable explanation of BAC is its resolution is vain efforts to cover an unlawful conspiracy amongst them (BAC members)."
Included as respondents in his complaint are Assistant Secretary Jonathan Malaya, consultants Aquino and Sac, and BAC members Gorospe, Clemente Salinas Jr., Mercedes Bautista, Yolanda Pascua, Pedrito Pilien, Marjorie Turalba and Roland Castillo. (SB)
