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MANILA, Philippines – Diversified conglomerate San Miguel Corporation’s (SMC) Optimal Infrastructure Development Inc. was given 24 hours by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to submit more documents to support its bid proposal for the P35.4-billion Cavite-Laguna expressway (Calax) project.
DPWH Undersecretary Rafael Yabut said the agency’s special bids and awards committee (SBAC) met with in-house consultants KPMG and ACCRA Law Office, the Department of Finance (DOF), and the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center to discuss the issues raised by the 3 other bidders against San Miguel’s infrastructure arm.
“The SBAC in its meeting with KPMG/ACCRA, DPWH in-house consultants, DOF, and PPP, recommended to request Optimal Infrastructure to submit clarification within 24 hours regarding its bid security,” Yabut said in a text message, Monday, June 9.
On Friday, June 6, the DPWH deferred the opening of the bids for the PPP project after 3 other bidders questioned the bid proposal submitted June 2 by Optimal Infrastructure.
Malaysia’s Alloy MTD Philippines, MPCALA Holdings Inc. of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation, and Team Orion of Ayala and Aboitiz Group questioned the validity of Optimal’s bid security, as well as the packaging and labeling of its proposal.
SMC’s Private Infra Development Corporation President Mark Dumol said in a statement that their group’s bid was fully compliant with the requirements. He said ANZ Bank issued a certification that the bid security was valid until November 29.
He also called on the government not to be swayed by “bullying tactics” by SMC’s competitors. “Are they intimidated by our financial bid that they now choose to find the tiniest fault in the bid submission? Clearly, the government gets the best price if there are several bidders.”
He added, “We hope the evaluating committee will not be influenced by MPCALA’s campaign against SMC through its media machinery, harping on appearance of boxes and minute technical discrepancies. MPCALA is like Megatron, it wants to kill Optimus (SMC’s Optimal) but has so far been unsuccessful.”
“The entity that submits the highest financial bid to the government wins,” Dumol stressed.
The Calax project involves the financing, design, construction, operation and maintenance of a 4-lane, 47-kilometer closed-system toll expressway connecting the South Luzon Expressway and the Cavite Expressway. – Rappler.com
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