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Monday, March 19, 2007
Ebdane blames locals for lamps purchase
CEBU CITY -- Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) secretary Hermogenes Ebdane said that while he approved the funding for the lampposts bought in preparation for the Asean summit, he “was not involved in the procurement of those items.”
“I approved funding for the infrastructure requirements based on the recommendation of local government executives and the director of DPWH 7,” he said in a message sent to Secretary Cerge Remonde, director general of the Presidential Management Staff, last Saturday night.
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Ebdane said what he did was aboveboard, and explained his side to Vice President Noli de Castro in his dzMM radio program Saturday morning.
“They went through the bidding process (at the regional level), in full compliance with government laws and regulations. I suggest we leave the conduct of the investigation to the ombudsman, who has taken cognizance of the case,” he told Remonde.
Ebdane said he will come up with a press statement Monday to correct the “wrong perceptions” on the issue.
He also admitted authorizing the setting up of 40 lampposts inside Portofino Beach Resort, but added that he gave specific instructions that these be removed after the summit last Jan. 11 to 15, Ebdane added.
Apparently, DPWH 7 forgot to obey all of his instructions.
For his part, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said that DPWH Secretary Manny Bonoan “is addressing the issue. We will just monitor the action of the agency.”
The Office of the Ombudsman is investigating the purchase of some 1,800 decorative park lamps and lampposts that, according to government contracts, cost from P85,000 to P350,000 each.
Initial findings show the lamps were acquired using limited-source bidding, instead of a broader competitive bidding, because of time pressure.
The controversy, apart from provoking an ombudsman fact-finding inquiry so far, has also put pressure on local and national government officials to account for the billions spent preparing for the Southeast Asian summit.
Ebdane said that a few weeks before the summit’s original schedule in December last year, they were “not convinced” the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) would be finished on time.
“It was then decided to put up an alternative venue, and for security reasons the open space adjacent to Shangri-la’s Mactan Island Resort and Spa be developed/spruced up for the purpose,” he said.
An air-conditioned pavilion was constructed on the lot, which happened to be that of Portofino, and a hole was bored into Shangri-la’s fence to provide access to the vacant lot.
“I then directed that the ground and access road be lighted (with lampposts) similar to the ones installed along the main route,” Ebdane said.
The installation of lampposts inside the resort was discovered when the ombudsman started looking into their procurement, following allegations of overpricing. (RHM of Sun.Star Cebu)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Manila. (March 19, 2007 issue)
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