NEGROS Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. said yesterday the provincial government won't pay the contractor of the Negros First Animal Hub at the Panaad Park and Stadium because it has not passed through the bidding and he is not aware of the construction of the building.
Marañon said he has ordered the stoppage of the construction of the building which is almost 80 percent complete and that the contractor may have already spent about P4 million on it.
“I am not aware of the construction of the building. I think what happened was a miscommunication because when the construction started, Provincial Veterinarian Renante Decena was on vacation in New Zealand and the late Ian De Ramos, who was head of the Special Projects Division, also died that time. The one who took care of the office was not aware and may have believed the ongoing construction has a go signal,” the governor explained.
The governor also said he doesn’t know the name of the contractor.
“Nobody allowed the contractor to start the construction. He did it on his own. I won't pay for that because we have not signed anything that he should go ahead with the construction. It will be TY (thank you),” he added.
Marañon said the province will use the building because it stands in the property owned by the provincial government, however, they will have the Provincial Legal Office study the situation first because there could be some legal impediments.
He also said he immediately formed an investigating committee upon learning the construction has not passed the bidding process, adding he got angry when he learned about it.
When asked if he is planning to file a case against the contractor, the governor said: “Why should we file the case? It belongs to the province. It's up to the contractor that he constructed the building. I am not aware of the construction. Provincial Engineer Ernie Mapa is not also aware.”
The governor also said he immediately ordered for the construction stoppage upon learning it from the Provincial Bids and Awards Committee because there was a complaint.
“The province has no liability,” he stressed.
He said he won't have the building demolished and that there will be no more bidding for the project.
“We will have it at no cost to the province. It's up to him if he will finish that but the province won’t pay for that,” he reiterated.
Maranon made the explanation after I Watch Negros Occidental Inc. sent a complaint letter before the Commission on Audit, Office of the Ombudsman and the Provincial Bids and Awards Committee questioning the construction of the Animal Hub building without bidding and purchase order.
Provincial Budget Officer Jose Percival Salado Jr. said that the construction of the Animal Hub has a total budget of P10 million, of which P9 million is for the building and other structures and the P1 million for the equipment.
He explained that Advance Delivery is a big no because it is a violation of the Procurement Law.
The exact procedure is to process first the procurement that includes the bidding, then they will be issued the Notice to Proceed, so the construction would start.
After the construction, it will be turned over to the end user when it's 100 percent complete the payment shall be made, he explained.
“There should be consent of the end user. But the consent would only be legal if the exact procurement is followed. Without that, the building would be considered illegal and will be demanded demolition. Unless the contractor wanted to donate the building,” Salado said.
For his part, Vice Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said they were aware of the opening of the area.
He said that if it’s true that the construction of the building did not go through bidding, then it's an illegal structure.
“We all know that before we implement an infrastructure project, it has to go through a legitimate bidding. If it's true, then the province has no obligation to pay for the said building,” he said.
He said that if it becomes official that indeed there was no bidding, then maybe they will take it up.
“We will find out who gave the go signal to have the building constructed even without the bidding and I will recommend for an investigation,” Lacson said.
He confirmed the Provincial Board has approved a budget to make the Animal Hub permanent for the use of the livestock growers.