The obscure town of Candijay was in the news lately after it was discovered that it has caused the publication of an Invitation to Bid for the purchase of a set of heavy equipment in a Manila-based newspaper.

On the surface, there really was nothing wrong with the publication. In fact, if the publication is to be taken at face value, it will be to the advantage of the municipality because it invited as many prospective bidders as possible. Never mind that the province of Bohol has a surplus of local newspapers that can readily meet the stringent standard of the publication.

But what raised the hackles of some quarters was the propriety of publishing the bidding invitation to a Manila-based newspaper when it can be done, if the LGU is interested, in a newspaper based in Cebu . And it can be cheaper that way.

Cebu is host to many importers of reconditioned heavy equipment that it can readily meet the requirements of Candijay. This leads some people to suspect that the publication was the LGU's way of hiding from qualified bidders and suppliers based either in Cebu or Bohol. Some concerned quarters have advanced the suspicion that a favored bidder has all but wrapped up the transaction even before the publication was made.

This Bglante has the name of the supplier which is Cebu-based and if in the end, this supplier would come out as the lucky winner in the bidding, then it goes without saying that didn't we tell you so? Meanwhile, Candijay Mayor Sergio Amora, Jr. denied any wrongdoing in the publication of the planned equipment purchase. He said that it was per Land Bank advice that the publication should be made in a Manila newspaper.

The role of the Landbank is that it approved a P6 million loan for Candijay to be used in the purchase of the set of heavy equipment. In the case of Landbank, we hope it will be consistent with the publication rule. If memory serves us right, many transactions in the past where the Landbank was the financial provider, whether for public market construction or purchase of heavy equipment, and the publication was carried out by the local papers. Unless, the banking institution knew what we do not know.