Con-ass: How many crimes are committed in thy name

Con-ass, whatever is left of its carcass after it was buried for good, was used as convenient excuse to bag at least two multi-million projects in the third congressional district. The Con-ass alibi was a sequel of another modus used by the same contractor in winning four other projects in the same district. Earlier, the lucky contractor, Pershan Construction, used the 12th Asean Summit in Cebu as justification to corner the four projects worth P64 million also in the third district.

According to the Bohol Contractors Association, the four projects were won by Pershan under a negotiated bidding citing a provision of Republic Act No. 9184 which allowed the so-called alternative mode of procurement. RA No. 9184 is otherwise known as the Government Procurement Reform Act. What drove the goat of local contractors was the apprehension that Pershan Construction would exercise its clout again to bag three more projects in the third district. Two of these projects are said to be contiguous to the four other projects which the contractor won all by its lonesome. And the local contractors were right all along in their fears that Pershan cast a moist eye on the three projects.

Had it not for the timely intervention of Gov. Erico Aumentado, all three projects worth P82 million would have been gobbled up by Pershan citing this time the Con-ass justification. Thus, the automatic reaction of local contractors: con-ass how many crimes were committed in thy name. The Con-ass excuse was overheard by local contractors during the pre-bidding conference of the three projects the other week in Cebu . It was in the same pre-bidding conference that local contractors were told that the three projects were supposed to be won by Pershan because the contractor already advanced 15% of the project cost presumably to grease the palms of congressmen voting for Con-ass. Told of this stupid alibi, Gov. Aumentado reacted sharply that it was plain foolishness.

Aumentado's intervention was in the form of a meeting between the contractor and Undersecretary Juanito Abelgas of the department of public works and highways. Abelgas who used to be the Region VII regional director was alleged to have presided over the bagging of all the six projects in the third district in favor of the lucky contractor. The meeting was held in Manila last Wednesday and the Bohol governor succeeded in convincing Pershan Construction to give the P14M Sagbayan-Canmano-Carmen Road Pavement Project to a local contractor. The project was bagged by YS Construction.

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