Manila, Philippines – The government dropped nine companies linked to embattled contractor Sarah Discaya from its procurement system, effectively rendering them ineligible to bid for government projects.
In a statement, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) unit – the Procurement Service – said it has cancelled the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) membership of the following:
• St. Gerrard Construction Gen. Contractor & Dev’t Corporation
• Alpha & Omega Gen. Contractor & Dev’t Corporation
• St. Timothy Construction Corporation
• Amethyst Horizon Builders and Gen. Contractor & Dev’t Corp.
• St. Matthew General Contractor & Development Corporation
• Great Pacific Builders and General Contractor, Inc.
• YPR General Contractor and Construction Supply, Inc.
• Waymaker OPC
• Elite General Contractor and Development Corp.
The cancellation comes days after a separate entity – the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB) – announced that it revoked the licenses of the same companies.
The PCAB screens businesses seeking to join auctions of state-funded public works, and the PCAB license is a prerequisite for PhilGEPS membership.
“Pursuant to the implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act No. 12009, otherwise known as the New Government Procurement Act, the PCAB license is among the eligibility documents required for contractors to obtain PhilGEPS Platinum Certificate or Platinum Membership,” the DBM statement read.
“[F]ailure to maintain a valid and updated version of which results in inability to participate in government procurement projects,” it added.
PCAB stated in its Sept. 1 Resolution 075 that the nine companies “ that had bid for various flood-control projects of the government were in violation of licensing requirements and procurement laws due to evident presence of collusion.”
At the Senate blue ribbon committee hearing, Sarah Discaya admitted that her companies had bid for the same government works, allowing her to corner deals.
