THE Commission on Audit has reduced the claim of unpaid billing filed by GAMPIK Construction and Development Inc. against the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) from P79.32 million to just P27.93 million.
In a 16-page en banc decision released over the weekend, the COA reiterated its findings that there was evidence of rigged bidding and indications of overpricing of the decorative lamps installed during the 12th Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in 2007.
These were based on the technical evaluation report of the Technical Services Office (TSO), which found that there were suspicious discrepancies in the transaction documents that “raised doubts as to their authenticity and veracity of their contents.”
Auditors said the opening of bids happened on November 28, 2006 according to the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) Resolutions No. 014 and 020 but the memoranda of understanding (MOU) were supposedly entered into only on November 22, 2006, six days earlier than the bid opening.
More glaring still were the supposed Final Inspection Reports, which were dated February 7, 2007, even if the two contracts were dated March 8, 2007. This meant the decorative lamps were purchased, delivered, installed, and finally inspected a full month before the signing of the contracts.
Furthermore, the projects were supposedly completed on February 7, 2007 as stated on the Certificates of Completion and yet the 12th ASEAN Summit was held only on January 12 to 15, 2007.
