ROXAS: IS GMA STILL IN CONTROL?
OR HAS THE GANG OF CORRUPT MINIONS TAKEN OVER THE GOVERNMENT?

Liberal President Senator Mar Roxas today inquired if President Arroyo remains in control of government, or if her administration has been taken over by a syndicate of corrupt minions who steal the people's money aggressively and without fear of reprisal.

"Where in the world is President Arroyo? Is President Arroyo still in control of government?" he asked in a privileged speech delivered Tuesday afternoon where he exposed a new rigged bidding anomaly this time involving the acquisition of P1.4 billion worth of heavy machines by the National Irrigation Administration.

"Mahalaga ang taumbayan; mahalaga ang perang pinagpawisan at pinaghirapan nila. Sa panahon ngayon, mahalaga na ipakita ng gobyerno na may kontrol pa rin sila sa mga pangyayari," he added.

The Ilonggo senator said reports about public officials caught pocketing monies from the government coffers have become ordinary news to the people, so much so that he would not be surprised if the public ignores the P1.4 billion rigged bidding in the NIA's procurement of heavy equipment, allegedly for the repair and construction of irrigations nationwide.

Roxas bared the NIA has attempted to award the multi-billion irrigation project to two disqualified bidders, but who obviously enjoyed backing from influential people in the government to allow them to corner the over-priced project.

"Malinaw ang katotohanan: dinisenyo ang proseso para may makinabang rito," he stressed, noting the abbreviated period within which bidders were to submit their bids and the erroneous invitations to bid sent out by the NIA, which said it needed agricultural equipment when what it really required were heavy machineries.

The confusion over the invitations to bid and the short period for bidders to submit their proposals left out the local market's top two heavy machinery suppliers and left the Civic Merchandising Inc. and the Transport Equipment Corp. to bag the contract, which should have been disqualified because they failed to meet the total sales requirement stipulated in the NIA rules for that particular project.

"Sino nga ba naman ang makapaggagayak ng isang bid sa loob ng iilang linggo, na suwak na suwak sa gitna ng Kapaskuhan? At miski ang mga nakapaghanda nang maayos, tinanggal na lang ng BAC. Walang ibang makikinabang sa ganitong proseso, wala kundi ang mga may-alam nito sa simula pa lang. 'Yung mga mismong nagkarga ng bidding," he said.

Aside from this, the senator noted that the project proposal of the two companies were overpriced by at least P200 million. "Ang makinaryang ibineta ng dalawang kumpanyang ito, mas magal pa sa tingi. Ang presyong isinumite sa NIA, mas mahal pa kung lalakad ka sa opisian nila at bibili ng tingi, diretso mula sa kanila mismo," he pointed out.

He said that had the rigged and overpriced bidding not been exposed, the NIA would have proceeded with the awarding of the contracts to Civic and TEC, to the detriment of farmers nationwide who were supposed to benefit from improved irrigation systems.

"If that process is above board, then pigs can fly. Sinong inuto nila? Ito na ang kalakaran sa gobyerno. Mahiraop nang tawaging anomaly ito dahil araw-araw may ganitong panghoholdap na nangyayari sa kaban ng bayan. At ang totoo, ang ganitong kultura, ang ganitong kalakaran. Sumusunod sa prinsipyong follow the leader," Roxas said.