(Eagle News) — The South Korean bidder for the Navy’s acquisition of two frigates was already chosen during the administration of former President Benigno Aquino III.
As such, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Special Assistant to the President Bong Go could not have intervened in the process, as erroneously insinuated by several media organizations.
He said the winning bidder, Hyundai Heavy Industries, with a bid price of P15,744,571,584 for two frigates, was declared on June 9, 2016, weeks before President Rodrigo Duterte took his oath of office.
The opening of bids was done on March 17, 2016, while the acquisition/decision memorandum for the frigates was entered into as early as June 7, 2013.
He said the final technical specifications for the procurement was approved by former Defense secretary Voltaire Gazmin on Jan. 24, 2016.
“…The only involvement of the Duterte administration in this regard is the ministerial issuance of the Notice of Award. Note that under the government procurement law, a bid once it has been awarded is then given a Notice of Award and all that Secretary of National Defense (Delfin) Lorenzana did on August 18, 2016 was to issue the Notice of Award,” he said.
As for allegations Go interfered in the bidding for the frigates’ Combat Management Systems, Roque said this was also not possible since there was no separate bidding for this in the first place.
“(The) CMS was part of the bidding for frigates. (The) combat system is part of a warship. (It can’t) be bidded [sic] separately from vessel since (we are) procuring a warship,” he said.
“This admin issued (the notice of award) after (the Aquino) admin under then SND Gazmin declared an alleged lowest compliant bidder. We had no other option under RA 9184. Tell Alejano to vent his ire on his (yellow) friends (please),” Roque added, referring to Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano.
In a privilege speech on Tuesday, Alejano insinuated Navy Flag Officer in Command Ronald Joseph Mercado was sacked by Malacanang over the controversial deal.
He said that Mercado was relieved so the Technical Inspection and Acceptance Committee would accept HHI’s design even if it failed to follow the contract specifications.
