Enrile urges probe of ‘anomalous’ P1.3-B textbook procurement By Charlie V. Manalo 04/17/2012

Enrile urges probe of ‘anomalous’ P1.3-B textbook procurement

By Charlie V. Manalo 04/17/2012

Cagayan Rep. Jack Enrile yesterday called on the administration to come clean on its procurement of books worth P1.31 billion through direct contracting, which various civil society groups claim to have violated the law on government procurements.

Enrile said President Aquino should ask Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Armin Luistro to explain why he authorized the direct contract for the procurement of the books, as opposed to subjecting the contract to competitive bidding — a rule of thumb for government procurements as prescribed in Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act.

The lawmaker said resorting to direct contracting — especially for contracts amounting to billions of pesos — defeats the government’s daang matuwid (straight path) mantra, and exposes to attack the administration’s sincerity and resolve in its promise of closing down avenues of corruption in government..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20120417nat1.html