The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) belied claims that there were irregularities in the bidding process for a program involving the procurement of pistols for its personnel.
In a statement on Tuesday, Oct. 15, the PCG denied the “malicious, irresponsible, and sensationalized” reports circulating online which implicated senior officers of the PCG, including Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Ronnie Gil Gavan, in the alleged anomalous project.
The PCG confirmed that there is an ongoing project for the procurement of 9mm caliber pistols for its personnel although it denied the supposed claim of one of the bidders, a Korean company, that the project was overpriced.
The PCG has yet to reveal further details of the procurement project.
However, reports which surfaced online alleged that the Korean firm filed a case against the members of the PCG’s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) before the Ombudsman for supposed irregularities in the procurement of 19,627 units of caliber 9mm pistols with a budget of P971,536,500.
Reports claimed that the PCG favored a Filipino firearms manufacturing company even if the bid price the latter declared was allegedly double than the market or dealer’s price of the said firearm.
The PCG said that there is no truth to the claim of the Korean firm, as published by several news websites, that the coast guard procured overpriced 9mm caliber pistols and the project was “grossly disadvantageous to the government.”
“The PCG assures the public that in the performance of its duties, specifically in the supply of essential weapons to its personnel, that it carefully considers the overall qualifications, competence, and performance of bidders, as well as goods and services that the latter will provide through a transparent, fair, and judicious procurement process consistent with existing government rules and regulations,” it said.
According to the PCG, the Korean firm and its joint venture partner were disqualified in the bidding “due to questionable and false statements made in its bid documents.”
“The PCG also clarified that the media organizations and journalists behind the said news websites had neither contacted the former to verify any of the allegations made in the assailed article, and that its information are based solely upon the claims of a disqualified bidder of the project,” it said.